Yonkers Public Schools considering 211 layoffs to close budget gap

YONKERS - The Yonkers Public Schools is considering laying off 211 employees to close a $47.9 million budget gap.

The layoffs include 83 teachers, 10 administrators, 116 civil service employees and two Teamsters union members.

Besides staff eliminations, Superintendent Edwin Quezada recommended that the district use up its entire rainy day fund of $24 million.

"As you know, $24 million leaves the district in a compromising position," he told the Board of Education. "Not to have any money available in the event of an emergency is of much concern to us."

Other cuts are expected to hit various sports programs. Quezada said the only program he thought could continue are merged high school teams.

DEFICIT: Yonkers mayor proposes about 200 lay-offs

Quezada called his proposed budget a first draft because it is still unbalanced and requires more reductions of about $5 million.

Quezada's working schools budget is $604 million.

"Understand that this $604 million includes significant reduction in staffing and services, and it does not bring about the change that we want to continue to produce in our district," he said.

Quezada made his presentation ahead of Mayor Mike Spano's budget presentation on Friday.

The public schools' proposed layoffs mirror layoffs of city workers. Last week Spano said he would include about 200 layoffs of non-schools city workers when he unveils his combined city-schools budget on Friday.

Spano said his budget will include a 2 percent tax increase that will cost the typical homeowner about $100 more.

Twitter: @ErnieJourno

More Yonkers news

RATS: Yonkers residents overrun by rodents

CENSUS: Yonkers opposes citizenship question in 2020 Census

GOVERNMENT: Yonkers may lay off 200, cut services

REAL ESTATE: Website claims Yonkers rents rose 10.7 percent last year

BUSINESS: Yonkers considering self-storage expansion

SIGN UP for The Y-O, reporter Ernie Garcia's Yonkers newsletter