www.news10now.com

State of Education: Public hearing on education and budget
02/15/2013 04:00 AM
By: Vince Gallagher

Education and the economy is a common combination these days in Albany.

SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher said, "We have to make up funding of around $27 million that was cut of the executive budget."

SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher and Assembly members took part in a public hearing based on Governor Cuomo's budget proposals. One recurring subject: medical education.

Zimpher said, "We've already had to apply for the closure of one of our hospitals, the Long Island College Hospital, and there will be severe implications for the University Hospital in in Brooklyn if we don't have some stabilization funds."

SUNY Trustee Chair H. Carl McCall said, "We'll have fewer students. We'll be able to take care of fewer patients. But it's even worse than that. Some of these facilities might close, and downstate is in a very vicarious position."

Stabilization funds aren't part of the governor's proposal, so Zimpher hopes the legislature will recognize the issue and add more money in.

Zimpher said, "That's what the process allows for, the executive budget and the legislative response, and they negotiate the outcome."

The chancellor also says if they don't get any help from the state, students could end up paying the price.

Zimpher said, "When we have some financial hemorrhaging on any one of our campuses, the only way it supplant that is to tax one of our campuses, and they're in pretty tight financial situations right now as well."

In other areas of education, the governor's plan also includes $25 million in grants for full-day, pre-kindergarten programs and $20 million to lengthen the school day by 25 percent. However, for now, many advocates and education officials say there's not enough in spending increases to meet the needs New York Schools.




Copyright ©2009 TWEAN News Channel of Syracuse, LLC, d/b/a News 10 Now.