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Schenectady Federation of Teachers calls for nicotine supports and warns about budget risks
Summary
Mike Silvestri, president of the Schenectady Federation of Teachers, thanked the district for planning receptacles or patches at secondary schools and urged the community to be prepared if state or federal funding changes reduce district revenue.
Mike Silvestri, president of the Schenectady Federation of Teachers, used the public-comment portion of the meeting to thank the district for moving forward with plans to provide "receptacles or patches" at secondary schools and to warn the board about potential budget strain if state or federal funding declines.
"First, I would like to thank the district for moving forward with the plan to move into the idea of getting receptacles or patches for next year, especially at the secondary," Silvestri said. He told the board that a union survey showed only 10% of secondary teachers opposed the idea and invited the district to collaborate with the Schenectady Federation of Teachers on any committee work.
Silvestri said the union supports protecting public education and cautioned that if external funding changes — including federal-level shifts — the district might face financial pressure. He urged the board and union to "rally around each other again and support public education" if funding shortfalls occur.
His comments were entered into the public record; no board action was taken during public comment. The CFO later presented budget context and noted the district is monitoring state aid and expiring grants.
