POUGHKEEPSIE – Increased funding from New York State combined with federal money received under the American Rescue Act will reduce the Poughkeepsie City School District (PCSD) tax levy and pay for additional programming for students, according to Superintendent Dr. Eric Rosser.
The district is receiving $4.4 million more than Governor Cuomo had originally proposed in January. The PCSD is also receiving an extra $1.4 million earmarked for Pre-K funding. With the additional funding from Albany is combined with the nearly $11 million in COVID-related funding, the tax levy will be reduced from 2.198 percent to 1.4 percent, according to William Hogan, Interim Chief Operations Officer for the PCSD. The $11 million is a combination of $6.6 million under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Act of 2021 and $4.9 million received under the American Rescue Plan.
Hogan advised the school board to consider using the funds to restore three assistant principal positions in the district, adding 14 teachers for specific classes throughout the district, adding new custodians, debt reduction, and other fiscally conservative expenditures.
Hogan briefed the school board last week about the proposals and Board President Felicia Watson responded, saying she was “overjoyed at what was being presented when you think about where we were a year ago.”
