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Volume XVIII • Number 8 • January 20 - 26, 2011 •
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Schools facing massive budget cuts and layoffs
HONORING DR. KING – The Green Pastures Baptist Church Choir under the leadership of Reverend Roger Hambrick at this year’s tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale. The HIR Community Choir also performed two inspirational songs at the event. Congressman Eliot Engel spoke in honor of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and NYPD 50th Precinct Captain Brandon del Pozo spoke of heroism. There was a brief service for victims of the recent shootings in Tucson, Arizona. Donations were collected for Israeli Fire and Rescue Services.
Labor dispute at Manhattan College raises religious issues
By BRENDAN McHUGH In a groundbreaking ruling, the National Labor Relations Board will allow adjunct instructors at Manhattan College to vote on the formation of a union. The ruling will likely lead to a lengthy legal battle between religious freedom and workers’ rights. Manhattan College claimed that because they are a Catholic institution, they should be exempt from the jurisdiction of federal labor law and should be allowed to prevent the vote. The college is assessing its options and will determine how to proceed with regard to an appeal. The decision is generally based on the finding that Manhattan College is not “Catholic enough” to be exempt from the NLRB’s jurisdiction. The ruling states that the NLRB will conduct an election within 25 to 30 days from the release, which was
Monday, January 10. Among the reasons given why the college is not considered religious enough for exemption are: the president of the school is not a Christian Brother; there are only a handful of Christian Brothers on the faculty or in the administration; belief in Christ or God is not a requirement for employment; and religious studies courses are academic and intellectual in nature. Dr. Brennan O’Donnell became president last year, the first lay person to fill the position in the history of the school. He succeeded Br. Thomas Scanlan, who presided from 1987 to 2009. “Although there is evidence that college representatives discuss the college’s Catholic and Lasallian mission in interviews with prospective faculty hires, it is also clear that it is not a reContinued on Page 5
By MIAWLING LAM School budgets have been slashed, and hundreds of teachers could be laid off as the city’s razor gang attempts to plug a $460 million budget black hole. Public schools have had their budgets cut this year, and local schools aren’t immune. P.S. 24 and M.S./H.S. 141, the Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy, have both seen their budgets shrink by the maximum 4.16 percent, while P.S. 81 has fared a little better despite suffering a cut of 2.53 percent. In real terms, it means RKA will lose $360,347, P.S. 24 will receive $264,488 less and $136,808 will be cut from P.S. 81. The drastic budget trims are designed to address the Department of Education’s ballooning nondiscretionary costs and the deeper cuts expected from Albany later this year. Since 2007, schools have seen their operating budgets shaved by an average of 12 percent. According to the Department of Education, the cuts are necessary and will save the city $313
million. “At this time, the fiscal year 2011 budget for the Department is uncertain and challenging,” it said. “Based on our best estimates— which could shift, as Albany has yet to pass its own budget —we are planning for a cut of $500 million in state education aid. “In addition to this assumed state cut, the department’s nondiscretionary costs are expected to grow by nearly $1.2 billion. Overall, schools will take reductions to their total budgets not to exceed 4.16 percent.” Principals fear the citywide cuts could force them to scale back their after-school programs and tutoring schemes and to condense their extracurricular offerings. As of press time, none of the three local school principals had returned calls seeking comment. But Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said the budget cuts would be devastating for schools. “The potential cuts may be much deeper than we have experiContinued on Page 13
RISING STARS – The younger members of the Riverdale Rising Stars presented eight smashing performances this month of “13,” with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown. Directed by Laurie Walton with choreography by Emily Walton and musical direction by Remy Kurs. Leading roles were Ezra Mutnick as Evan Goldman, the Bar Mitzvah boy who finally figures out who his real friends are; Breffni Ward and Claire Wegh alternating as Evan’s heroine, Patrice; Aaron Kisslinger as the popular Brett Sampson; Joshua Tepper and Oscar Belkin-Sessler as the hilarious team of Eddie and Malcolm; Natasha Perdomo and Jenna Solomon alternating as the much-desired Kendra; Alexander Crowe as the well-adjusted Archie; and Kasia Kalinowska and Caitelin McCoy alternating as the not-so-nice Lucy.