The Greece Central School District says schools could face a $20 million shortfall if the state withholds 20 percent of funding to schools because of budget shortages from the pandemic. 

Greece Central School officials say they received statements from the state saying all state aid that goes to schools could be cut by as much as 20 percent.

The state is waiting to see whether Congress will pass a funding bill to help states address their budget shortfalls because of the pandemic.

If state aid is cut by 20 percent, Greece Assistant Superintendent of Finance Romeo Colilli says schools will take a big hit.

"That would be a $20 million hit for Greece, which is significant," said Colilli. "That is not anything we could have planned for in the budget without laying off a significant number of people."

The district is now waiting to see if Congress will act before making any big decisions.

Officials also tell Spectrum News that they've built contingency funds in the upcoming budget to last the district through September while they wait for a final decision from the state.

Meanwhile, the New York State United Teachers, a state teachers union, denounced any planned cuts, saying in part, "While congress is on vacation, communities and families across the country are waiting for them to do their jobs and provide the funding we need to pay for all these school reopening plans and keep students and educators safe."