Compensating for shortcomings

To the editor:

I moved to Riverdale 45 years ago so that my children could attend great schools. My two daughters attended P.S. 81 and then Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy — and they received phenomenal educations.

When attending soccer games and just chatting with other parents, these parents either moved or stayed in Riverdale for the exceptional schools.

At the end of the academic year last fall, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz attended graduation ceremonies throughout his district, flaunting big checks for schools. The checks are cover up for the adopted budget that his son, Councilman Eric Dinowitz, voted in favor of for this past school year.

The budget allocation does not lie, and the funding data is public data. In Riverdale, all schools saw a significant budget cut, all thanks to Councilman Eric Dinowitz.

P.S. 81 had a budget cut of 15 percent, which was $838,000 less from the previous school year. P.S. 24 had a 16 percent budget decrease, which meant $903,000 less from the previous school year.

RKA had an 8 percent cut, losing $940,000.

The councilman’s vote for the mayor’s budget defunded Black and brown schools. In Kingsbridge, P.S. 7-Milton Fein School, there was a 13 percent budget cut, with $450,000 less in their school budget. P.S. 207 saw a 21 percent budget cut, with $622,000 less than the previous school budget.

In the east, P.S. 94 had a 12 percent cut, with more than $1 million less than the previous academic year. P.S. 16 had a 4 percent cut.

Only P.S. 19 in Woodlawn Heights had a budget that was not cut.

Eric Dinowitz ran on “a teacher fighting for our recovery,” and yet he defunded our children’s futures.

Shame on him!

Andrew Smith