QUESTION
Why is there a 14% cut to the early childhood budget and how is NYC addressing the upcoming federal fiscal cliff?
2:23:38
·
3 min
Council Member Rita Joseph questions the 14% cut to the early childhood budget and the NYC's plan for the upcoming federal fiscal cliff, focusing on seat vacancies and lack of data.
- The 14% cut to the early childhood budget is debated, highlighting missing Accenture report promised for informed decision-making.
- McKinney mentions a preliminary assessment and a $15,000,000 allocation for extended day seats to utilize available vacancies.
- Joseph stresses the importance of specific data for policy decisions and queries about measures to address the soon-to-expire federal funding.
- Jiha outlines the process of reviewing programs to decide which critical ones can be funded post-federal funding expiration.
Rita Joseph
2:23:38
The last time you were here, we talked about the Accenture report.
2:23:41
Right?
Jacques Jiha
2:23:41
Mhmm.
Rita Joseph
2:23:41
You said you would get it to me As of now, the council still does not have it.
2:23:45
But there's a cut, 14% cut to the early childhood budget between November and preliminary budget.
2:23:52
O n b b and DOE have both used seat vacancies as the reason for the cut.
2:23:57
The council believe these seats can be placed more efficiently over a year.
2:24:00
Over a year ago, and the city contracted Ascension to provide a report.
2:24:04
We still don't have the report, but yet there's a cut to early childhood at a $170,000,000 when that data was supposed to give you the information in order to make that decision.
Latonia McKinney
2:24:18
Good afternoon.
2:24:20
So we have a preliminary assessment from Accenture, and we're working on the final report.
2:24:27
But in the meantime, we work with the council to put in the $15,000,000 for extended day seats.
2:24:34
And New York City Public Schools reached out to vendors and asked what their capacity was.
2:24:40
So we weren't waiting for a final determination on what the needs are because we know that there are empty seats and we're trying to put the need with the the demand, with the availability.
2:24:52
And so we are still trying to get those final numbers.
2:24:55
But in the meantime, we are asking where capacity is so that we can put students in those seats.
2:25:01
There's still a lot of empty seats.
Rita Joseph
2:25:04
So we need to move, so you're gonna need that data.
2:25:06
But when I met with New York City Public Schools, they said it was add on to our very existing program.
2:25:10
That wasn't the mission and the goal of the New York City Council when we piloted this program.
2:25:14
It was to be unique so we could gather data in order for us to make decisions.
2:25:18
See, data make drives your instruction.
2:25:20
Data's supposed to also drive your policy.
2:25:22
We don't have data here in order for you to drive this policy, so I wanted to make sense for me.
Latonia McKinney
2:25:27
Well, we're gonna provide that to the council.
2:25:29
We're working with New
Rita Joseph
2:25:30
York City Public Schools to
Latonia McKinney
2:25:31
get that final information.
2:25:32
And over the next several weeks, then we'll have the conversations with that data in hand to see where the needs are.
Rita Joseph
2:25:39
And you're gonna provide ZIP code and area code.
2:25:41
And my final question, sorry, Cheah, federal federal fiscal cliff is coming up.
2:25:46
What is OMB?
2:25:47
How is OMB working with New York City Public Schools?
2:25:49
To fill on those gaps.
Jacques Jiha
2:25:53
Yeah.
2:25:55
This is something that we process what we're doing.
2:25:57
I'll leave you because as you know, the funding expires at the end of this year.
2:26:03
So we're in the process of reviewing every single one of these programs.
2:26:08
To see what's critical.
2:26:12
And all of
Rita Joseph
2:26:13
them are critical.
Jacques Jiha
2:26:15
And are we going to fund them?
2:26:19
Because as you can imagine, we just funded the DOE portion of the summarizing.
2:26:25
That was funded to with federal stimulus, but because you buyers, we couldn't go forward with that program, but we just made a decision to replace the federal funds with Citoxlab.
2:26:43
So we'll go to the same classes, okay, with all the other programs to see what is can be done for each one of them.