By Phil Corso
Hundreds were expected to attend a protest in Bayside opposing the city’s cutting of budget money for Benjamin N. Cardozo High School, officials said.
City Councilman Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens) called on the city Education Department to restore hundreds of thousands of dollars the city plans on cutting from the school’s budget, which would slash Advanced Placement courses, sports and certain services.
He said the DOE was forcing the school to repay $400,000 at a rate of $130,000 a year, to make up for a DOE bookkeeping error.
“DOE made an error, and now thousands of students are left in the lurch in the middle of the school year,” Weprin said. “By cutting funds to the school, DOE is unfairly punishing the students for its own mistakes.”
The DOE did not comment.
A protest was scheduled for 2 p.m. outside the 57-00 223rd St. school Wednesday, which students predicted would be attended by hundreds.
Reach reporter Phil Corso by e-mail at pcorso@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4573.
