The Rochester City School Board is now reviewing the proposed budget for the 2017-2018 school year. It was released Tuesday night by Superintendent Barbara-Deane Williams.
It adds 144 teacher positions in reading, special education and social work. Rochester City School Board President Van White says the proposal is encouraging.
"Its simple mathematics, the more favorable the adult child ratio, the better the outcomes. The research shows that the more attention the child can receive from educational leaders the better the outcomes will be because the child's needs can be attended to and observed and monitored."
White said increased resources in reading and literacy is essential.
"The commercial that everybody remembers was "Reading is Fundamental." You can't comprehend in mathematics, in literature, in history, unless you know how to read."
The $791 million proposal is a 9% increase from the 2016-17 budget. The initial budget gap estimate was projected to be $50 or 60 million, but the proposal suggests a gap of almost $18 million. The district hopes to close the gap further with increases in state aid.
Part of the funding for the suggested 144 teacher positions could come from shifting $4.4 million used in federal poverty funding for academic intervention.
Also in the proposal is the reassigning of 22 administrators to teaching positions. White said he agrees with the principle of making cuts as far away from the classroom as possible.
The school district will have public forums on the budget next week.