Sound Shore

Mamaroneck superintendent Paul Fried’s recommended cuts to next year’s school budget is already generating a lot of discussion in the community.

One of Fried’s recommendations that is upsetting a lot of parents is his proposal to tinker with full-day kindergarten. Currently, all four elementary schools have full day kindergarten. Fried wants to bump Chatsworth and Murray Avenue Elementary Schools down to half day kindergarten and as well as all but one of the classes at Central Avenue School. Mamaroneck Avenue School would keep all its full day kindergarten classes intact.

Fried also wants to lay off 21 positions at the elementary school level, eight of them being teachers. Fried said changing the kindergarten lengths and the layoffs could save the district $1,352,200.

The teachers union is already unhappy with Fried’s proposal to elminate 54 district employees next year. I’ll have stories detailing the community’s reaction to Fried’s ideas early next week.