Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > New York > Long Island
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 05-19-2010, 08:04 AM
 
57 posts, read 166,294 times
Reputation: 34

Advertisements

i think Herricks needed to have a higher tax increase because unlike other neighboring districts like roslyn or even uniondale which has the roosevelt field mall, Herricks has virtually no commercial properties in which to tax.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 05-19-2010, 08:33 AM
 
964 posts, read 2,457,594 times
Reputation: 389
Three Cheers for Garden City and Herricks!!!

The message in these districts is loud and clear. We are watching. No more rubber stamping these fat increases.

Remember, Garden City is primarily a conservative area which hates greedy unions. They've had enough of the public sector drain on our budgets. While this doesn't make a huge financial impact, it does send a strong message for future budgets and future collective bargaining negotiations.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-19-2010, 08:37 AM
 
1,917 posts, read 5,334,389 times
Reputation: 829
The districts that failed still get a budget increase.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-19-2010, 08:58 AM
 
964 posts, read 2,457,594 times
Reputation: 389
Scott,

In GC's case, I believe state law sets the budget at a zero percent increase. (It could decrease by as much as .4 percent). Ironically enough, our taxes will now go up 2% rather than 4.5%...go figure. It's still better than passing that crap.

Of course the teachers can't be touched. They are still demanding increases to their salaries, and that is being negotiated now. Clearly, a lot of their leverage is gone after this vote...and that's HUGE. Administrators have already agreed to a 0% increase next year, and only a 2% increase the following year.

Programs that will be eliminated include all capital purchases, including almost all computer equipment and the school bus; non-emergency capital projects for maintenance and improvement of the physical plant; summer enrichment and AIS, the Winter Program for Kids, after-school child care and continuing education.

Yes, this SUCKS because the kids lose some things and the teachers continue getting their fat salaries and benefits. But, this message was an important one to send because it affects all future negotiations. I hope this can be the turning point.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-19-2010, 09:11 AM
 
748 posts, read 2,881,964 times
Reputation: 141
Losing after-school care is huge. Its going to cost working parents quite a bit more than 2% tax increase. Also, community groups will now have to pay to use the school for programs, and that could be a problem for many.

I am still surprised to see Herricks and Garden City school budgets fail. Herricks is a top-tier school district with high test scores, generally in the top 10 in Long Island. Garden city is also up there, and parents in both districts are very involved with education and kids programs. And both have considerably lower per-pupil spending than top-tier districts like Jericho.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-19-2010, 09:22 AM
 
8,679 posts, read 15,243,012 times
Reputation: 15342
The overwhelming majority of school budgets passed, which proves to me that the complaining on this board is that of a vocal minority.

*bangs gavel*

Dismissed.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-19-2010, 09:30 AM
 
964 posts, read 2,457,594 times
Reputation: 389
WJFM,

Comparing GC to other top school districts in LI is like comparing a person with the flu to a group of cancer patients. Yes, GC is more efficient with its money than Jericho and Manhasset, etc. However, it still is shelling out way to much for a wasteful product.

The people of GC know what those cuts mean. They are willing to bite the bullet and make those sacrificies to send a message...a very clear message. We will not be abused any longer. Either our school board negotiates real contracts with the teachers or they are out. No one is safe anymore.

I only wish other school districts like Jericho, E. Williston and others had the courage to stand up and fight also.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-19-2010, 09:32 AM
GPC
 
1,308 posts, read 3,403,670 times
Reputation: 1050
I'm one of the NO voters in Herricks. I've been sending my kids to these schools for 11 years. I don't really get what exactly these 'extras' are that keep getting referred to. My kids don't play sports and aren't in band and I do realize those programs are some of the 'extras' but what are the rest? There's a charge for before and after school care, there's a charge for summer camp, there's a charge for class trips, there's a charge for Saturday recreation, there's a charge for 5th and 8th grade graduation festivities (dance, t-shirt, yearbook, and boat trip), etc. We joined the town pool for one year and haven't bothered since but there's also a charge for that. I get the continuing ed mailings for classes at the community center and there's a charge for them as well.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-19-2010, 09:32 AM
 
1,917 posts, read 5,334,389 times
Reputation: 829
People equate a passed budget with an increase in taxes while the schools try to convince the voters a passed budget= better education.
The schools can play games and punish the voters, which has been done in many districts. When I attended Longwood (Graduated in '87) we were on split sessions (Early and late) which really messed up parents with 2 kids (One kid went early, the other late). Every lack of resource was blamed on the budget. We went 4 years without new books, sporting equipment, etc.
This was my fab HS education.
Even prior to HS, I was thrown on a bus and driven to Leisure Village in Ridge to perform an impromptu concert in the rec center for the old folks. All in an attempt to get votes!
So the districts play their games and the voters play theirs.
The voters are so fickle too. The objectivety they claim to have seems to disappear when they have kids. Suddenly, it's important the budget passes (Back to the passed budget=better education). I can't blame them really; it's not wrong to wish for 12 years of worry-free schooling for your children.
Bottom line, the kids become the pawn in the politics of their education.
Oddly, I really believe it's been worse than this before. Generation Y is having to deal with a lot of crap whe shouldn't have to.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-19-2010, 09:32 AM
 
964 posts, read 2,457,594 times
Reputation: 389
I think the point everyone is missing is obvious.

Why do we have to cut programs such as after school childcare and continuing education, etc. when we all pay 14,000-30,000 a year in property taxes? It's because the system is broken and too many of our tax dollars are going to bankroll the salary and benefits of teachers and administrators. Because of this, it is the kids that will suffer. Until we stand up to those unions, nothing will change.

My hats off to Herricks for following our lead.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:




Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > New York > Long Island
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top