Gov. Kathy Hochul is proposing in her 2023-24 budget a $2 million cut in funding for the 4201 specialized schools for students who are deaf, blind or physically disabled, which if enacted would be a blow to The Henry Viscardi School, Head of School Angelo Zegarelli said.
The Henry Viscardi School in Albertson is a New York State 4201 school that provides tailored education for students with physical disabilities or medical challenges.
The school offers students a traditional learning environment with the added advantages of ramps, elevators, medical services and assistive technology. Zegarelli said the school is a “fully accessible environment,” which is uncommon to find even to smaller degrees at public schools.
“As much as I really adore many of our public schools, and they do the best they can, the issue is that they can’t support our students the way we can,” Zegarelli said.
He said the Henry Viscardi School is a resource to school districts, supporting students from nearly every Long Island school district and various districts throughout the state.
The Henry Viscardi School is the only one of its kind in the state, Zegarelli said, making its service even more important for students with physical disabilities and medical challenges throughout New York State.
“We’re such a resource for school districts,” Zegarelli said. “We really provide a service that truthfully other school districts can’t. We’re a choice for parents, we’re a resource for school districts and without us, the unfortunate result is that our students wouldn’t get the education that they’re entitled to. And that’s the bottom line.”
Hochul’s executive budget for school aid proposes a $2 million decrease for 4201 schools, down 1.85% from the prior year. This would reduce their general funding from $107.9 million to $105.9 million.
The proposed $105.9 million would go toward the costs associated with eight private schools for the deaf, two private schools for the blind and the Henry Viscardi School. This includes $93.7 million in base funding for the state’s share of costs for tuition and maintenance for the schools and $12.20 million in additional funding.
According to the executive budget, about 1,200 students attend these schools. Zegarelli said about 170 students are enrolled at the Henry Viscardi School.
He estimated Henry Viscardi would experience about $200,000-$250,000 in budget losses under the executive budget.
If the school loses this funding, Zegarelli said it would “debilitate or restrict” Henry Viscardi from providing the services it currently offers. This could mean after-school activities being canceled or certain specialized classes being diminished.
He said this also further exacerbates the staff salary disparity between his school and other local public schools, which have the resources to offer higher pay. If staffing has to be cut, Zegarelli said that could trickle down to the students and reduce the number of children they can provide for at their school.
Zegarelli said that during his six years as head of the school, this has never been an issue.
The New York State Assembly majority also presents a budget proposal in response to the governor’s, which they passed as one house on March 16. The Assembly proposes restoring the $2 million for the 4201 schools and providing an additional $10 million. This would bump up the funding for 4201 schools to $118 million.
“[This is] what we really wanted from the beginning,” Zegarelli said. “When you look at what the governor says, yes, she’s increasing funding to public schools almost 10%, and yet schools like ours [she’s] threatening to cut it.”
The Assembly’s budget proposal also includes a restoration of $3 million to five 4201 schools, including $903,000 for the Henry Viscardi School.
Zegarelli said that over 60 state legislators, from both sides of the aisle, have provided great support to the 4201 schools and have posted videos to express it.
“The amazing support we have from the state Legislature, and all the representatives, has been amazing on our behalf,” Zegarelli said.
Zegarelli said he is confident that the governor’s budget cut won’t happen, but it is something he needs to take seriously in the event that it does.
The final budget will be decided between Hochul, state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. The three parties had until April 1, to decide on the budget specifics, but no final budget has been presented yet.
It is not known when New York State’s final budget will be presented.
Zegarelli and the Henry Viscardi School participated in 4201 Lobby Day on Feb. 5-6 in Albany where school representatives and superintendents spoke to legislators to make them aware of their schools and their priorities.
He said the Henry Viscardi School and all other 4201 schools are appreciative of the support from the state legislators.
Zegarelli said staff and other community members have also taken their own time to reach out to legislators and the governor’s office to make sure the school’s voice is heard and they receive the funding they need. He said this has been galvanizing for the school and their community.
“The outreach and the amount of advocacy has really been outstanding with getting our voice heard,” Zegarelli said. “We’ve got our voice out and I’m hoping in the end that the governor and her team truly see, and I’m hoping that there was just something that didn’t add up or some kind of mistake that we’re going to be able to rectify.”
One of the aspects of Henry Viscardi that Zegarelli said is important for students is the school’s culture. He said it is valuable for students with disabilities to “have the choice to go to school where [they’re] not the only one” and are alike their peers.
“You find that they learn, they feel comfortable in their own skin and they learn better,” Zegarelli said. “In 22 years, I’ve seen that time and time again where a child comes and they may be having some difficulty in the school system for whatever reason, but more importantly they don’t have the feeling of belonging, and that’s what we provide.”
