COVENTRY – The impact of the governor’s proposed state aid cuts, the ever-increasing demands of unfunded mandates and fears of consolidation topped the list of concerns local school leaders shared with elected officials Saturday at a Legislative Breakfast co-sponsored by DCMO BOCES and the Chenango County School Board Association.

The event, held annually at The Silo Restaurant in Coventry, drew administrators and school board members from each of Chenango County’s nine school systems and others throughout the DCMO BOCES district. There to hear their concerns were Senator Tom Libous, Senator James Seward, Assemblyman Cliff Crouch, Assemblyman Gary Finch and a representative from Assemblyman Pete Lopez’ office.

“You are our voices and you are the voices for our kids,” said presenter Judy Breese, a member of Walton’s board of education, as she called on the legislators in attendance to communicate their concerns to Albany.

Governor Paterson’s executive budget proposal, which would cut aid to Walton schools by $640,000, was of primary concern for Breese.

“I have struggled to make sense of numbers like these,” she said, expressing her concerns about how program cuts would affect not only at risk, special education and gifted students, but the entire student population. “These cuts are going to affect all of our students across the spectrum.”