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Mentorship program could be victim of budget cuts

Ellen Abbott
/
WRVO News
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and some of the kids who participate in the grandparents program.

A central New York Mentorship program that pairs grandparents with first and second graders could become the victim of federal budget cuts.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) says this funding is essential for the grandparents who help in Syracuse classrooms, by way of the Senior Corp Chapter in the city of Syracuse.

Volunteer Colleen Chestnut works with these kids in the Syracuse City School District, and doesn’t want to see the program go away.

“Teachers are really great with the kids, and they really do need help,” said Chestnut.   “If you have a teacher that’s in a classroom that has 25 students and no one in that classroom to help her, the kids don’t get that one on one.  We do a lot of one on one, and I think it’s really great.  I wouldn’t want to lose our program.”  

Schumer says the house bill would cut spending through the National Council for the Social Studies by 42 percent, which he says would cripple the program.  He says he'll push to keep these cuts out of the Senate budget plan.

"If the government takes our funding away, they’ll be lost in the system, and I really don’t want that to happen,” said Chestnut.

Schumer says he’ll fight to keep the funding in the Senate part of the budget, which is supposed to be reconciled with the House plan in the fall.

Ellen produces news reports and features related to events that occur in the greater Syracuse area and throughout Onondaga County. Her reports are heard regularly in regional updates in Morning Edition and All Things Considered.