Monday, 14 June 2010 21:24
Setting the Record Straight - Nothing But the Facts
Background
The Suffolk County School Superintendents Association (SCSSA) developed this brochure to "set the record straight" about education on Long Island. We know that an important part of advocating for Long Island schools is dispelling the misconceptions that many have about our region. While it is true that there are several school districts with property and income wealth far in excess of the state average, it is important to remember the following:
Nearly 60% of students in Suffolk County are enrolled in school districts that fall bellow the state wealth average.
Long Islanders use 20% more of their gross household income to pay school property taxes than New Yorkers in general.
The Executive Budget projects a two-year increase in Foundation Aid for Suffolk County schools that is 42.5% below the state average.
Given the needs of our students, the effort of our taxpayers, the percentage of the state's students enrolled in our schools, and the share of state income and sales taxes paid by Long Islanders, the SCSSA believes Long Islanders deserve more support from the state. We call on the state to provide Long Island schools with an appropriate share of state aid.
Long Island students outperform students across the rest of the state by every measure maintained by the State Education Department. These measures include elementary and middle-level assessments, as well as Regents exams.
However, the statewide rankings tend to mask wide disparities in sutdent performance between low-wealth and average to high-wealth school districts within the region.
After accounting for regional cost differences, the average per pupil cost of education on Long Island is below the cost in the county at the median.
The purchasing power of state aid dollor on Long Island is overvalued in the SED regional cost index.
The per pupil cost of education on Long Island rose an average of 2/5% between 1995-96 and 2004-05.
The average teacher salary on Long Island at the elementary, middle and secondary levels ($76,530, $76,400 and $76,000) is comparable to the state average ($71,920, $72,950, $73,680.)
Schools on Long Island are supported by two primary sources of revenue - property taxes and state aid. What doesn't come in aid must be raised through property taxes.
On Long Island 70% of the school budget is funded with property taxes. Across the rest of the state (outside of NYC) it's approximately 50%.
On Long Island 25% of the school budget is funded with state aid. Across the rest of the state (outside of NYC) it's approximately 45%.
Federal aid, fund balance and miscellaneous revenues comprise all other income.
A recent report from the Office of the State Comptroller indicates that. . .
while the statewide average property tax per person was $2,022 in 2005, the average in Nassau was $3,772, which was secon in the state; and in Suffolk it was $2,887, which was sixth in the state.
Long Island households paid an average of almost $10,000 in real property taxes in 2005, which is twice as much as every other region except the Hudson Valley.
Nearly three-quarters (48) of the school districts in Suffolk County received only the 2% minimum increase provided by the Foundation Formula.
Among these districts are ten low-wealth districts with a combined enrollment of 73,000.
Suffolk County schools stand to lose $9.8 million in BOCES Aid and $5.2 million in Supplemental Excess Cost Aid pursuant to the Executive Budget.
Thirteen school districts in Suffolk County are slated to lose all High-Tax Aid pursuant to the Executive Budget.
The Executive Budget reduces the share of state aid directed to Long Island Schools. While Long Island schools enroll nearly 17% of the students in the state, barely 12% of the aid comes to our districts. This is a "root cause" of excessive property taxes. Accordingly, we make the following recommendations:
Restore High Tax Aid
Restore Supplemental Excess Cost Aid
Restore BOCES Aid to School Districts
Reject the shift of preschool expenses from the state to the schools
Modify the Foundation Formula to. . .
. . .raise the minimum increase from 2% to 5% with a higher minimum for low-wealth districts.
. . .utilize a regional cost index that recognizes the true costs of "doing business" on Long Island.
. . .utilize wealth and poverty measures that are regionally sensitive.
. . .utilize a sharing ratio that generates a reasonable level of expected local effort.
All of this could be accomplished if Long Island received its traditional share of state aid. Even the traditional share is well below our "fair share".
| 2008 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES |
| Promote School Safety and Efficiency Promote Shared Services and New Partnerships Initiatives Promoting A Fair Allocation of State Aid ~~See State Aid Recommendations Above~~ Initiatives Promoting School Safety, Efficiency, and Effectiveness Establish School Safety and Security Aid - Schools have dedicated more and more resources toassuring the safety and security of students. Expenditures for technology such as surveillance cameras and electronic entry systems, as well as security personnel and services have increased due to concerns about school violence and terrorism. The state should consider the estabilshment of an expense-driven categorical aid to partially reimburse schools for these expenses. Fund Additional School Resource Officers (SROs) - School districts that elect to have a police presence in their schools should have the option of arranging for the asignment of a school resource officer through the local police department. Funding for SROs should be made availabe by the state to the police departments that assign officers to this duty. Reform the Taylor Law - Amend the Tribgorough Amendment of the Civil Service Law so that in the event that a collective bargaining agreement expires, any provision for continuing salary increases also expires. End Unfunded Mandates - Any legislation that is enacted must provide sufficient funds for any action, program, or service that the legislation mandates. Repeal the Wicks Law - Repeal Section 101 of the General Minucupal Law (the Wicks Law). Seek Greater Federal Support - New York State government should aggressively advocate for full funding of IDEA and NCLB by the federal government. Charter Schools - Charter schools should be held to the same standards as regular public schools and their funding mechanism should be changed to provide a statewide source of funds rather than redirecting funds away from local school districts. Special Act Schools - Reform the funding formula for the Special Act Schools. Tuition setting must be done in a more predictable manner on a multi-year basis and districts should be allowed to retain their fund balance. District Superintendent Salary Cap - Eliminate the salary cap on the District Superintendent. Salaries and benefits for these administrators should be set by the BOCES Board in the same way that a local Board establishes salary and benefits for the chief school administrator. The Suffolk County School Superintendents Association has been exploring opportunities to create shared services involving the schools and the Suffolk County government. Certain initiatives tha are currently under study will require enabling legislation if implementation is found feasible. The following are out legislative priorities related to this initiative: Health Insurance Incentive The SCSAA urges New York State to enact enabling legislation to authorize the County of Suffolk to enter into cooperative agreements with school districts, towns, and villages located within the County of Suffolk to pay for the provision of health care services to their employees, without being subject to the provisions of Article 47 of the New York Insurance Law, and to permit the County of Suffolk to charge an administrative fee for such participation. This will permit them to pool their covered lives for the purpose of participating in the next RFP that will be issued by the Suffolk County Employee Medical Health Plan within the next eighteen months. Accessing County Service Contracts The SCSSA urges the state legislature to enact legislation that will allow school districts to utilize service contracts (i.e. plumbing, electrical, etc.) available through the County. Articles 8 and 9 of the Labor Law prohibit school districts from using such contracts. This prohibition creates inefficiency for school districts because it restricts access to contracts that have been competitively bid pursuant to the requirements of the General Municipal Law. As a result, school districts must duplicate the efforts of the County and establish service contracts for the same work on a "stand alone" basis and lose the potential benefits of volume purchasing. Dr. Rosemary Jones (Sayville UFSD) President Dr. Thomas Shea (South Huntington UFSD) President-Elect Mr. Wendell Chu (Fire Island UFSD) Vice-President Mr. Anthony Annunziato (Bayport-Blue Point UFSD) Treasurer Mr. Gary D. Bixhorn (Eastern Suffolk BOCES) Secretary Mr. Neil Lederer (Lindenhurst UFSD) Past President SCSSA Legislative Committee: Mr. Gary D. Bixhorn (Eastern Suffolk BOCES> Legislative Chairpersn Dr. Janet Ceparano Wilson (Harborfields C SD) Mr. Wendell Chu (Fire Island UFSD) Dr. Allan Gerstenlauer (Longwood CSD) Mr. Anthony Cacciola (West Babylon UFSD) Mr. Thomas Quinn (Springs UFSD) Cluster Leaders: Babylon: Dr. Ellen Best-Laimit (Babylon UFSD) Brookhaven: Dr. Robert Gerold (Middle Country CSD) East End: Dr. Charles Kozora (Greenport UFSD) Mrs. Linda J. Rozzi (Tuckahoe CSD) Islip: Dr. Alan Groveman (Connetquot CSD) Smithtown/Huntington: Dr. Janet Ceparano Wilson (Harborfields CSD) Executive Director: Dr. Candee Swenson |
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