History lessons

If there is one thing school district leaders and boards of education are realizing going into the current fiscal crisis, it's that history can repeat itself.

Grappling with what state Gov. David Paterson describes as the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, every school district across the state is bracing for drastic cuts in school aid for the next academic year's budget.

It's been nearly a month since district administrators and boards of education learned of Paterson's proposal to reduce spending and close a $13.7 billion deficit for the next fiscal year, in part by slashing school aid by 3.3 percent, or $698 million. And in that time - and in the weeks and months ahead - district leaders are thinking about how they can plug the leak and save money without critically injuring education.