Apr 5, 2012 12:27 PM
Salary concessions from its teachers union will not be enough to prevent the Remsenburg-Speonk School District from piercing the state’s new tax levy cap if it wishes to maintain current programming, School Superintendent Dr. Ronald Masera announced at an emergency community forum held at the elementary school on Monday evening.
At the standing-room-only meeting, which attracted about 140 people and lasted approximately two hours, Dr. Masera announced that the current version of the district’s proposed $12.5 million 2012-13 budget comes with a 6.85-percent increase on the tax levy—shattering the 2 percent cap that the state is implementing for the first time this year. The proposed plan, which would increase overall spending by $343,379, or approximately 2.8 percent over the current year’s $12.2 million budget, comes with a tax levy of $11.7... more
At the standing-room-only meeting, which attracted about 140 people and lasted approximately two hours, Dr. Masera announced that the current version of the district’s proposed $12.5 million 2012-13 budget comes with a 6.85-percent increase on the tax levy—shattering the 2 percent cap that the state is implementing for the first time this year. The proposed plan, which would increase overall spending by $343,379, or approximately 2.8 percent over the current year’s $12.2 million budget, comes with a tax levy of $11.7... more
tax cap? Is that the answer every year to keep breaking the cap? The continual kicking of the can down the road is unacceptable. Parents of students like to live their lives above their means and think the district should do the same. It's ironic that people believe more spending is the answer when in fact it is just destroying future generations with unsubstainable debt.
DS,I agree with you about SpEd funding;as a person who works with special needs children and has a personal connection with the SpEd community,I can say that special education is an area that needs to be funded properly to integrate those who depend on it into our communities.Many school districts try to streamline their programs,which is okay as long as they keep in mind that the children who need these programs will later be out in the community and have to be ...more able to be as independent as we can make them;we also need the community to understand that many of those kids will develop and will even become prductive participants in the community,but it all begins with assuring that they get the help they need from an early age.Not every special needs child will fully realise their potential,but if we make sure that they get as much help as we can give them early,they will benefit and their dependence later on will diminish and hopefully,disappear.
Municipalities all over the East End, and perhaps LI, are enacting legislation to pierce the NYS tax cap limit, and not just by small percentage increases.
There is a larger scale problem taking shape here IMO, and the outcome does not look healthy.
If the worldwide economy takes another turn down again, . . . . .
Fiddle Fiddle Fiddle
Currency Currency Currency
Debauch Debauch Debauch
Fail, Fail, Fail...
You are correct. Please note that the comment posted above was more general in nature.
Municipal budgets including school districts are in real trouble IMO.
Any budget problems or not in your school district are debatable, but are only the tip of the iceberg IMO.
The football team did pretty well last year, and that's usually one of your bigger attractions. With sports like a cherry on top of a solid curriculum, you can't go wrong. Been there, got that.
I think the distrust has to do less with how much is spent, and more to do with how it is spent. Negotiating things like benefits, and perks for themselves that the other 70% of the country don't get can make people angry. Especially when it's those 70% that pay for your compensation.
A. Reduce the compensation for the teachers
B. Reduce the services provided to kids with special needs.
A. is unlikely
B. is unwise
Oh,here's a battle I'm up for. Where should I start?
HAVE THE TEACHERS CONTRIBUTE 50% of their health insurance and pension costs.
Do not pierce the tax cap, make due with the monies available, the taxpayer isn't a bottomless pit!
I have no argument with the last sentiment. However, athletic activity is just as vital as academics. Especially considering the obesity epidemic in this country. Many of my fellow alumni moved on to college via athletics, and the scholarship money it brought them. You don't have to become a professional sports player, for physical activity and the spirit of competition to be a positive factor in your life. As a matter of fact, the amount of neurons in ...more the brain are directly tied to muscle mass, and physical activity becomes even more important as you age when it comes to your mind. How many of those professionals you mention were scholars, as well as athletes?
That artificial turf you mention is a cost saver in the long run. That field should last the better part of a decade. Better drainage, no mowing, no fuel, no irrigation, no chemical fertilizers, less manhours for grooming, well you should garner the point...
Replacement of turf, is FAR less expensive than initial installation.
And, frankly that was then, this is now. They invented super-concentrated corn syrup, and a whole lot of other junk called "food" since your "heyday".
Many school districts ...more will tell parents about budget cuts,but parents are under no obligation to give up what their kids get once that contract is negotiated (in a Committee of Special Education, or CSE)
Taxpayers should be proud of the schoo districtor providing quality special education services;it's the kids who need the most help that are always attacked by the small minded and intentionally indifferent.
School districts are responsible for providing the staff and programs needed by students in special education;that is why some schools,which do a good job of providing for those needs,become satellite schools drawing from distrits around them.
Nobody has asked for a 10% increase and I'd vote against it if they did.
I don't see any data that supports your claim re. special needs students flooding the district.
The school states that they need the increase to keep the status quo. It is up to the school to show us the data that supports that claim ...more and then the people should decide based on that data. Creating arguments that are based on hypothetical situations isn't fair or constructive.
State and federal funding dictates that disabled children,depending on the type and extent of their disability get the servies tha they qualify for,and that any money not spent in deliviering those services be returned to the issuing authority.
If the Education department allocates $20,00 on a disabled student and only 15,000 is spent on serving that child,the unspent money has to be returned to whomever granted that amount.