Schumer: Federal Aid Will Save Teacher Jobs at Highland Falls and Help Avoid Prop Tax Increases - Sen Successfully Fought to Make Sure HF District Got Its Fair Share

Press Release

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today met with 3 Highland Falls teachers whose jobs were saved by the federal education jobs bill passed by the Senate last month and discussed the funds' effect on the school district. Because of its unique situation, Highland Falls was at risk of not receiving any of the federal aid money as it was distributed by the state, but Schumer successfully fought tooth and nail to ensure that this outcome was avoided. Without these funds, the district would have had to lay off three teachers next year, shorten the school day by 45 minutes, cut arts and music programs further, and increase property taxes to pay back funds borrowed this year to save teacher jobs for the current school year. Schumer said that with this $455,000 in federal aid he helped secure, those outcomes will be avoided.

"This federal aid comes just in the nick of time to provide our students and school with more of the resources they need," said Schumer. "Having to Lay off teachers and raise property taxes again during a time of financial distress would be a giant leap in the wrong direction. For far too long, Highland Falls has gotten the short end of the stick, and while these funds don't make up for that, we have at least ensured that the district, in this one instance, has received its fair share. Now our attention must turn towards the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind and fixing the structural problems that have put Highland Falls in such dire straits. Finally, I'd like to thank Congressman Hall for his partnership on this issue -- he is a tireless fighter for Highland Falls."

"An investment in our local education system is an investment in the future of the Hudson Valley and our nation," said Rep. John Hall. "The Highland Falls School District should be able to provide the best education possible, the same as any other district in the State. I consider it a great duty to deliver the necessary funding our local education system needs and deserves."

Due to the federal aid, three teacher positions that were on the chopping block will not be eliminated next year. The district will also be able to hire additional teachers, teacher aids, or both. To avoid further cuts this year, the school had previously borrowed $164,000 from the teachers union. The funds were scheduled to be paid back next year, and the school district would have had to raise property taxes to cover the costs. Now the federal aid will cover the loan so it will not cause property taxes to go up. Finally, the school district was planning on shortening the school day by 45 minutes next year, depriving children of education and putting further strain on parents. This too will now be avoided.

The bill will provide $10 billion for additional support to local school districts to prevent imminent layoffs across the country. For New York, it provides $607 million and will avoid approximately 8,100 teacher layoffs, according to estimates by the U.S. Department of Education. The funding is to be distributed to the state, and the state was in charge of allocating the money to individual districts. Because of a historic tendency to provide Highland Falls with a disproportionately low share of aid, Schumer and local officials were concerned that Highland Falls would not get their fair share. Schumer pressed both the State and Federal governments to make sure that this didn't happen, and that the school district was not shortchanged again.

Highland Falls School District is in a unique position. The land within the district is approximately 93% exempt from property taxation due to wholly exempt Federal and State owned land. The acquisition of land by the United States Military Academy at West Point accounts for approximately 72% of this exempt property, while New York State parklands and other property accounts for the remaining 21%. Because of this situation, the school district has already been forced to make tough decisions this school year, such as closing its elementary school, letting go staff, ending vital extracurricular programs and raising property taxes.

Schumer, along with Congressman John Hall, is working on developing a legislative solution that will implement a permanent fix for the Highland Falls School District as part of the Reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. Schumer and Hall are seeking to lift the arbitrary cap on the amount of federal funding the district is able to receive from the federal Impact Aid program.

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