Utica Schools struggle to accomodate growing population of students

UTICA, March 5, 2010 -- As a rising budget with less aid looms over the Utica City School District, so does an influx of new students and additonal services.

Utica School officials expect an estimated 260 additional kids could enroll for the 2010-2011 school year, many who are learning English as a second language. In the district, 42 total languages are spoken.

"That's what identifies us as a great district -- the diversity we have," Utica School District board member Chris Salatino said. "We're still a community that really embraces different cultures, and we consider it diversity: Not a challenge but something very positive for us as a district. To have so many cultures in one city, it's a melting pot that shows the same diversity amongst our students."

In order to accommodate the growth while trying to cut back on spending, the school board faces some tough decisions.

"Typically, for every teacher you have 22.5 kids," Superintendent James Willis said. "For every one to four teachers of special needs you have a teacher's assistant. We're looking at cutting between 13 and 15 staff members because of our budget situation; and then we'd be looking at an average class size of 25-28 kids."

Willis said to do this, the school may reduce one teacher from each subject and add eight secondary teachers for programs such as ESL (English as a Second Language) and special education.

"Our first choice is not to fill the positions after retirements," Willis said, "but that depends on who pleas retirement over the next few months."

Willis said the majority of growth in the district comes from the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees. Regular staff teachers, interpreters and social workers -- all part of support education -- are sometimes needed to assist in the adjustment process and aid in the learning process.

"In our population of students, a high percentage are ESL and ELL (English Language Learner) students," he said. "We also have a large number of ESL kids who are special needs kids, which double-hits us."

Part of the big problem with the budget, Willis said, is that the state froze or reduced much of the aid schools depend on, including cutting $3.7 million to Utica School District. The state actually is cutting $5.6 million, but the district expects $1.9 million in federal stimulus money. That issue, paired with a growing population of foreign students and salary growth, has had a large impact on the budget -- an additional $6 million, he said.

"We're one of the few city district in New York State that's growing," Willis said, adding that he'd rather not cut from programs that aid ESL/ ELL and special needs kids. "I'm afraid it will impact out test scores which takes us a step back, not a step forward."

Salatino said he's concerned about changing what's offered to those students.

"As one of the only districts in the state with increasing enrollment, we've also increased our operating budget, like personnel," he said. "The 'No child left behind' mandates are still there."

The tough economy has a direct impact on the budget, and Salatino said he doesn't see an end to that any time soon.

"The only negative issue we have to deal with is the money part, and that will always be a problem, especially with the economy the way it is and in the near future I don't see that changing."

Each year, about 525 refugees and immigrants resettle in Utica, numbers that are down since the 1990s, said officials at the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees. Executive Director Peter Vogelaar said  numbers have not jumped drastically.

"The number goes up and down, but as an average our arrival rates have been very consistent and the number of kids have been relatively consistent over the years," he said. "It's not a an unexpected jump or anything."

The majority of those who resettle in the community come from Burma (Myanmar), Nepal and Iraq, Vogelaar said. Coming from another country, the families hold their children's education to a very high expectation.

"We find that a lot of the children of refugees do amazingly well in the school district," he said. "If you look at the top the percent of students in each school, there's an amazing number of names from newly-emerging populations. The communities we work with are extremely dedicated to the education of their children. There's a real determination to get an education, and what a great opportunity we have in the community to afford that."

Despite the struggling budget, the most important focus is getting all students the help they need to attain the education they deserve, he added.

"I think our objectives are to teach these young people English as quickly and effectively as possible," Vogelaar said. "Whatever resources the school supports to help that process, we stand by them to held that happen."