Post by Chris_Wendt on Jun 24, 2013 14:49:31 GMT -5
I would like to tie together the several components of my diatribe on school budget voting. I had not wanted the make this a facts-and-figures expose, because throwing-out numbers and quoting percentages are great for having the audience roll back their eyes, or close their eyelids or click away someplace else. It is funny that statistics, often the only real proof of some important point, engender suspicion and cast more doubt than they are supposed to resolve. But alas, this topic does lend itself to at least a nod to a set of recent statistics which should make the case against the “Two-Percent Tax Cap” and prove the fallacy of the rationale which underpins voting on local school budgets (the "local control" fantasy).
Remember that we were sold a “Two-Percent” “Tax Cap” by our State Legislature and Governor. This really sticks in my craw. It is true that many school districts, notably Wantagh, have taken heed of the nomenclature and hewed very close to the “two-percent” watermark in our recent budgets. Good job, Wantagh Administration and Board of Education. But other school districts, hundreds of them, have had to make ridiculous decisions in order to attempt to toe the line with the tax cap, and tens of thousands of students, and hundreds, perhaps thousands of school employees have had to pay an unreasonable price (namely, their jobs) to make up for legitimate, sane leadership missing from the State to control taxes which are driven by state-mandated spending, and state-constrained aid to education.
Now to the numbers. Focusing on the seven (7) Long Island school districts that attempted to breach or “pierce” the “tax cap”
Bay Shore – attained 61.4% super-majority for a 5.9% tax hike on the first (May) vote.
North Babtlon – Attained 64% super-majority for a 3.4% tax increase; the tax cap limit for North Babylon was 2.65%.
Manhasset—Attained 71.8% super-majority in a “Do-Over” vote for a 1.97% tax increase which exceed the cap which only allowed a 0.15% tax increase. That is really nuts!
Baldwin—Attained a 73.6% super-majority in a “Do-Over” vote for a 3.14% tax increase, exactly equal to their cap limit.
South Country—Attained 69% super-majority in a “Do-Over” vote for a 0.95% tax increase under their 0.98% tax cap limit! Super-majority was not needed due to cuts made to budget. If the budget had failed-failed, then $7 Million additional cuts would have been necessary. It is not clear how they brought their revised budget under the cap limit, but it appears the fund balance appropriation was increased on the revenue side. Come on, a tax cap under ONE PERCENT? Nuts.
Sachem—the second largest district on the Island—attained an unnecessary 71% super-majority in a “Do-Over” vote for a 3.14% tax hike, equal to their cap limit. Sachem reportedly reduced 100 staff positions to get there. Full-day Kindergarten was restored between the first and second votes, apparently a very big deal among parents who may not have supported a budget that did not include Full-day K. The Sachem story is very complicated, includes massive state aid losses, and other factors.
East Quogue—attained an unnecessary 73% super-majority in a “Do-Over” vote for a 2.45% tax increase, just under their 2.46% cap limit. This is a really small district. Enough said.
To me, this entire saga makes a complete mockery of the phrase, “State Aid to Education”, and eviscerates any notion of “local control” over our schools. My recommendation: let the state pay all pension costs and get those costs out of our school budgets. Replace the “tax cap” with a spending cap with no super-majority overrides, no exceptions, and no exemptions. Make the state responsible to fill any funding gaps that result. Of course, you won’t see this happen in my lifetime. But perhaps you have more time than I do.
Chris Wendt
(Edited for clarity, grammar 6/25)
Remember that we were sold a “Two-Percent” “Tax Cap” by our State Legislature and Governor. This really sticks in my craw. It is true that many school districts, notably Wantagh, have taken heed of the nomenclature and hewed very close to the “two-percent” watermark in our recent budgets. Good job, Wantagh Administration and Board of Education. But other school districts, hundreds of them, have had to make ridiculous decisions in order to attempt to toe the line with the tax cap, and tens of thousands of students, and hundreds, perhaps thousands of school employees have had to pay an unreasonable price (namely, their jobs) to make up for legitimate, sane leadership missing from the State to control taxes which are driven by state-mandated spending, and state-constrained aid to education.
Now to the numbers. Focusing on the seven (7) Long Island school districts that attempted to breach or “pierce” the “tax cap”
Bay Shore – attained 61.4% super-majority for a 5.9% tax hike on the first (May) vote.
- Reduced budget from prior year by -$1.7 Million
- Tax Cap was 3.2%p
- District lost $20.8 Million in State Aid over 5 years
- Fund Balance at $0 following last state aid cut
- Prior staff reductions of 130 positions
- current staff reductions of 34 positions for next year
- All bargaining units took a wage freeze for 2013-14 to reduce $5.5 million
- Each building and each department sustained a 10% budget cut from current year
- Full-day K preserved
- to meet the tax cap, additional cuts of $3 million would have been needed
- If budget had failed-failed, then additional cuts of $6 million would have been required.
North Babtlon – Attained 64% super-majority for a 3.4% tax increase; the tax cap limit for North Babylon was 2.65%.
- ”Do-Over” budget vote was an in-your-face re-submission of the same budget that failed in May
- 50% more people voted in the”Do-Over” vote in June than voted in May
- 1,000 more ‘Yes’ votes were received in the “Do-Over” June vote than in the May vote
- The over-limit budget exceeded the allowable cap limit by $625,000
- There had been 68 prior teacher reductions plus senior administrator positions
- Retirement cost increases of $3.6 Million were the main problem, leaving the Board with an untenable choice to either decimate programs or “pierce the tax cap” as the bottom line
- Had the budget failed-failed, then additional cuts of $4.1 million would have been necessary under the “tax cap” rules.
Manhasset—Attained 71.8% super-majority in a “Do-Over” vote for a 1.97% tax increase which exceed the cap which only allowed a 0.15% tax increase. That is really nuts!
Baldwin—Attained a 73.6% super-majority in a “Do-Over” vote for a 3.14% tax increase, exactly equal to their cap limit.
- Full-Day Kindergarten preserved
- Middle School sports eliminated
- five high school teams eliminated
- no county or state championship competitions
- no intramurals
- no late bus
- no Sports Nite
- assistant coaches and trainer reductions
- cuts to musicals, non-classroom art, activities, staffing
- no music lessons before 5th Grade
- the super-majority was not needed because of budget reductions made
South Country—Attained 69% super-majority in a “Do-Over” vote for a 0.95% tax increase under their 0.98% tax cap limit! Super-majority was not needed due to cuts made to budget. If the budget had failed-failed, then $7 Million additional cuts would have been necessary. It is not clear how they brought their revised budget under the cap limit, but it appears the fund balance appropriation was increased on the revenue side. Come on, a tax cap under ONE PERCENT? Nuts.
Sachem—the second largest district on the Island—attained an unnecessary 71% super-majority in a “Do-Over” vote for a 3.14% tax hike, equal to their cap limit. Sachem reportedly reduced 100 staff positions to get there. Full-day Kindergarten was restored between the first and second votes, apparently a very big deal among parents who may not have supported a budget that did not include Full-day K. The Sachem story is very complicated, includes massive state aid losses, and other factors.
East Quogue—attained an unnecessary 73% super-majority in a “Do-Over” vote for a 2.45% tax increase, just under their 2.46% cap limit. This is a really small district. Enough said.
To me, this entire saga makes a complete mockery of the phrase, “State Aid to Education”, and eviscerates any notion of “local control” over our schools. My recommendation: let the state pay all pension costs and get those costs out of our school budgets. Replace the “tax cap” with a spending cap with no super-majority overrides, no exceptions, and no exemptions. Make the state responsible to fill any funding gaps that result. Of course, you won’t see this happen in my lifetime. But perhaps you have more time than I do.
Chris Wendt
(Edited for clarity, grammar 6/25)