Colleagues, Here’s a brief update on some current issues: - RCSD Budget. The District’s managers are experiencing difficulties producing a credible and transparent budget for the upcoming year. Despite significant increases in State and Federal revenues, and a fund balance of $135 million at the end of the 2020-21fiscal year of which $104 million is unrestricted (according to fiscal analysis experts at the New York State United Teachers), they are still claiming deficits and a need to take $30 million from the fund balance and still proposing school closings, maxing out class sizes, staff reductions, and eliminating programs and services for our students. Ironically, the State-appointed monitor Shelly Jallow is the principal advocate for these draconian cutbacks while at the same time hypocritically criticizing the District for “ not even attempting to do what is best for the students.” Undeterred by the fact that the District has unprecedented increases in funding, Dr. Jallow and...