News

The New York City Council, the legislative body of the city, restored 129 million dollars in funding for education to the New York City budget on Thursday, June 26, cancelling the planned budget cuts for Stuyvesant’s 2008-2009 school year.

“We have equal to or more actual dollars than we had last September,” Principal Stanley Teitel said.

On Thursday, May 22, the Department of Education (DOE) released a list of 74 public schools whose budgets were expected to be cut by more than five percent for the 2009 fiscal year. Stuyvesant, whose budget was expected to be cut by 955,135 dollars, or 5.32 percent, was included on the list.

The 129 million dollars will be used to eliminate budget cuts for all 74 schools for the 2009 fiscal school year.

Classes and extracurricular activities will resume as normal. “All students will get all their course requests, limited only by programming and academic issues,” Teitel said.

“This was the best news for Stuy I’ve heard all summer,” Parent Coordinator Harvey Blumm said. “The lobbying and pressure put on the DOE and Chancellor by parents and students definitely paid off.”

Last spring, Parents’ Association members were vocal about their resentment of the planned budget cuts.  Four Stuyvesant parents joined protesters at the High School of Fashion Industries on Thursday, May 22. Parents also attended a public hearing on the education budget at City Hall on Monday, May 27.

On Monday, June 2, parents, including Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon, teachers and principals representing more than 50 schools citywide rallied outside  Stuyvesant to urge the New York City Council to reject the budget cuts. On Tuesday, June 17, another protest was held outside City Hall.

“As a parent, I must say, I am definitely relieved that my child will be gaining the education she deserves. My daughter and I were worried that with the cuts she would be missing out on so many opportunities,” Stuyvesant parent Frank Ventola said.

Last year, Teitel was considering limiting the number of classes each student can take to seven instructional periods and lunch because of the planned budget cuts.

Students are glad their schedules will not be limited. “It’s a great thing since we get the normal benefits we are used to getting from the school,” junior Justin Wu said. “I really look forward to taking my electives.”

“Going into my senior year, I was a little upset that I wouldn’t be able to take some of the electives other seniors enjoyed, but with the budget cuts gone, I am very glad. I feel grateful that Stuy offers all those courses,” senior Gabriel Jung said.