ALBANY, N.Y. -- "If they're cutting, I'm scared to put him in the district," said parent Sophia Jones, concerned about her 4-year-old's education.

But with budget cuts looming, she's afraid of what it could mean - as educators argue the rich should be taxed more instead of cuts.

Alliance for Quality Education Executive Director Billy Easton said, "This amounts to $6,300 for every classroom in the state. For some schools and districts, it's as much as $12,000 coming out of a classroom immediately. It means less school supplies, less textbooks. Superintendents are talking about laying off teachers. That means bigger classroom for kids."

Alliance for Quality Education leaders say they took the governor's budget numbers and figured out how much money would be reduced per student in each school district. For example, they said the Albany City School District would lose almost $5,000 per elementary classroom, Syracuse would lose over $7,200, and Rochester over $7,300.

"This is a cut," said Easton. "It's like saying if you got a raise six months ago and your boss now wants half of it back, that that's not a cut in your salary."

So what would New Yorkers do? A new Siena Research Institute poll explains - sort of.

Steve Greenberg of the Siena Research Institute said, "Cut spending, raise taxes, or increase borrowing? Overwhelmingly, 75 percent say cut spending."

That, of course, brings us to the next question. Cut what?

Greenberg said, "Education, health care, aid to local governments, transportation and infrastructure or something else? Well, 6 percent said health care, 7 percent said education, 18 percent said transportation and infrastructure, 25 percent said aid to local government. But the winner? Something else at 44 percent."

If you dive a little deeper, according to that same Siena poll, if you give New Yorkers the option of which to cut if they had to, health care or education, they're still basically undecided. They don't want to cut either - making the debate for the Legislature likely that much more difficult.

Assemblyman Jack McEneny (D) said, "Somewhere along the line in that herd of sacred cows, someone has to be hurt by it."

Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco (R) said, "Is this so-called special session turning into a shame and a sham? I think it is."

Tough choices that will have to impact someone.