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Q&A
Contingency planning and impact of potential US Department of Education workforce cuts
0:31:09
ยท
3 min
Council Member Rita Joseph inquires about contingency planning for potential federal funding cuts and the impact of reported workforce reductions at the US Department of Education. DOE officials discuss their approach to scenario planning and the potential effects on NYC public schools.
- No specific contingency plan is in place, but internal discussions are ongoing
- Officials are considering various scenarios but cannot share detailed plans due to uncertainties
- Concerns are raised about the reduction in foundation aid from the state
- The impact of US Department of Education workforce cuts (1,300 workers) on NYC schools is not yet clear
- Monthly claims are submitted for Title I funds
Rita Joseph
0:31:09
Is there a contingency plan in place?
Emma Vadehra
0:31:16
At this point, there is not a contingency plan because we are hopeful we will continue to receive all the funding we deserve from both the federal and state level.
0:31:26
I will say it is one of the reasons we are most concerned about the reduction in foundation aid.
0:31:31
That reduction from the state is half of our entire Title I allocation from the federal government.
0:31:37
Just to put things in perspective here, just the cut is half of our Title I allocation.
0:31:42
So to the fact that we might see a reduction in state funding compared to what we should have gotten even as we're looking at this federal situation frustrating.
Rita Joseph
0:31:53
Yeah.
0:31:53
And we have been going to Albany and holding briefings so so folks could know about this.
0:32:01
Is it it's being reported this week that New York's the US Department of Education is firing 1,300 workers.
0:32:07
The impact to work to New York is not yet clear, but would this cut their workforce significantly?
0:32:12
Have you heard anything from the federal DOE counterparts since the news or have any sense of how it might affect your work?
Emma Vadehra
0:32:22
We do not yet have a sense of how it will affect our work.
0:32:24
It's certainly quite disappointing on behalf of the public servants and the work they do and the work they do to enforce our kids' civil rights in schools to ensure we get the funding our kids and school systems need and deserve, to have a trillion dollars in federal grants and loans helping our students and students around the country go to college.
0:32:45
We don't know yet what the impact will be on all of those programs of this reduction in force, but we are watching.
Rita Joseph
0:32:51
Earlier you said, when I asked about a contingency plan, you said none is in place yet.
0:32:57
I think we shouldn't have to wait till it happens to be scrambling.
0:33:01
I think we should plan.
0:33:02
As educators, we plan.
0:33:04
We don't sit and wait for it to happen and wonder what are we gonna do.
0:33:08
Go ahead, chancellor.
0:33:09
I know you'd take this one.
Melissa Aviles-Ramos
0:33:10
Thank you, chair.
0:33:13
And I'm still gonna make Emma give you all the more details because this is her wheelhouse, but what I will say is that it's not necessarily that we're waiting to make a contingency plan.
0:33:24
We're having internal conversations around all the possibilities, but we cannot enact on a plan with certainty when there are so many moving pieces, including our budget, including what happens with foundation aid, including waiting to see which cuts actually happen from the federal government, so for us, it's really a case of scenarios and what are some of the plans that would be attached to those scenarios.
0:33:48
We are not in a place where we can share those because, again, they are scenario based and internal conversations, but we are watching closely.
0:33:55
And as things continue to unravel, we would obviously brief you and have more detail for you.
0:34:02
But Emma, you should add.
Emma Vadehra
0:34:05
I was just going to add that it's of course early in the budget process for next year, and we are of course here to talk about our city funding.
0:34:12
We're up at the state level talking about state funding.
0:34:14
And you all will be our partners in whatever it is we need to address together if these cuts actually do hit us.
0:34:20
I will also pass it to Sarita who has an answer on the claims question.
Seritta Scott
0:34:24
Yep, so just wanted to make sure I got back to you.
0:34:26
We draw down on funds on a monthly basis for Title I.