NEW BERLIN – In the wake of New York Gov. David Paterson’s recent announcement that he’ll slash state aid, the Unadilla Valley School District is preparing itself, like many other area schools, for the long fiscal road that may lie ahead.

“As a superintendent it has been incredibly frustrating time for us. We’re working very hard and want to make sure the community, the students and the teachers can’t feel those frustrations during our current school year – but I tell people I make no promises about the impacts coming for next school year,” said Unadilla Valley Superintendent Robert Mackey.

According to state Budget Director Robert Megna, New York is on schedule to have a $1 billion dollar shortfall in its general fund by the start of the new year, an owed amount higher than any previous lapse by the state.

On Dec. 9, Paterson said he was reducing state aid payments to schools, local governments and non-profit organizations citing the deteriorating state of New York’s finances.

This announcement came as an even harder blow to the UV school district, explained Mackey.

Due to a tardy audit reported filed one day past the Nov. 15 deadline by the school, its general aid payment for the month of November was temporarily held by the state.

Schools receive monthly payments for their budgeted aid throughout the year, he explained.

The November payments were delayed into December when the Gov. announced the planned aid cuts. Soon after, when the school received its backlogged November payment, it noticed that it had also received the reduction given to the scheduled December payments.

Mackey sent a letter to the Governor’s office asking for an explanation of why the November aid was being withheld as part of the December cutbacks, saying it was not technically eligible for a reduction.

“So instead of just getting the cut to our December payment, the state hit us again for our November payment it was withholding, even though the governor said it would only affect the December payments,” said Mackey.

Altogether, Mackey estimated the district lost around $142,000 of general aid in the two cuts.

Aside from seeking explanation over those funds, another state program that provides money is also slated for a 19 percent cut. The STAR program provided around a $180,000 in December of ‘08 and another $360,000 in January ‘09.

Mackey explained that the amounts fluctuated and schools often didn’t know how much they would be receiving until it was nearly time to hand them out. The district received 190,000 this past December and is expecting another payment in January of 2010, estimated to be around double the December amount.