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Two years ago, I ran an after-school program with Syracuse City School District fifth graders. Students struggled with basic math, having to write out simple addition and subtraction problems on pen and paper. Within SCSD, only 18% of third through eighth graders are proficient at their grade level, far behind the state average of 57%.
Current budget cuts for the SCSD put educational attainment at risk. For the 2025-26 school year, there’s a $24.5 million deficit in the proposed $639.5 million spending plan. While district savings cover this, if such budget gaps continue to happen, SCSD’s savings would be dried up within five years…