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Well you can go with the conspiracy theory idea if you wish, but just do me one favor- turn on the TV on May 18 and look at the budgets that fail around the island. News 12 will undoubtedly run stories about how the towns will now face HIGHER taxes due to their no votes. I'm not talking about what is fair, right or what should be present in the future...I'm just saying be smart and make the votes that makes the most sense for you- not just an ideological position.
I disagree snad5393. You will see maybe one in ten budgets fail because districts know by the previous years 'No' votes how many 'Yes' votes they will need. They can assume they will get a couple hundred more 'No' votes at most and only simply need to get the PTA,the high school seniors and new parents to step to the plate. The blue hairs and the angry tax pact people will come out in rain,sleet or snow to cast the 'No' vote but it's the lazy "I'm too tired" parents who are the ones they need to drag out to vote 'Yes' and they recruit the students to guilt their parents to come out. I've seen it for 25 years.
Don't always count on the seniors to be voting no. My parents, in their 80's always ask me what's going on in the budget vote and then generally vote yes. They understand the importance of a good education for the district's children and they understand the importance of knowing who the board candidates are as well.
We seem to have a steady number of no votes every year here. But we also have extremely supportive seniors as well.
Don't always count on the seniors to be voting no. My parents, in their 80's always ask me what's going on in the budget vote and then generally vote yes. They understand the importance of a good education for the district's children and they understand the importance of knowing who the board candidates are as well.
We seem to have a steady number of no votes every year here. But we also have extremely supportive seniors as well.
Possibly because your a teacher... they are supporting you.... The budget vote system is stupid... The teachers contracts should be in that vote as a separate referendum...
Possibly because your a teacher... they are supporting you.... The budget vote system is stupid... The teachers contracts should be in that vote as a separate referendum...
No dear, I'm not a public school teacher, hubby was, in a different district, so there's no effect on us if my parents vote yes!
Sorry, no one's contract is voted on ever, and that's the way it should be. You elect a school board to handle that issue. If you don't like what they are negotiating, perhaps you should talk to them or run for a seat yourself.
No dear, I'm not a public school teacher, hubby was, in a different district, so there's no effect on us if my parents vote yes!
Sorry, no one's contract is voted on ever, and that's the way it should be. You elect a school board to handle that issue. If you don't like what they are negotiating, perhaps you should talk to them or run for a seat yourself.
I agree, it shouldn't be voted on or even negotiated. It should be decided upon by the municipality just like the federal government does. Non compensation issues like safety should be the only thing that is even remotely negotiable. If it's good enough for the federal government then it's good enough for Suffolk County teachers, cops, and administrators.
No dear, I'm not a public school teacher, hubby was, in a different district, so there's no effect on us if my parents vote yes!
Sorry, no one's contract is voted on ever, and that's the way it should be. You elect a school board to handle that issue. If you don't like what they are negotiating, perhaps you should talk to them or run for a seat yourself.
I agree the BOE's are to blame, they have no concept of a budget or financial sense. I still see districts granting increases even though in the end it will mean layoffs and larger class sizes. Most of the contracts expire June 30, that is a little close to the budget vote. I would rather see a budget vote a few months earlier so districts knwoin advance what the community will tolerate.
I see that several districts have already approved contracts that expire this June, that's rather backward in my opinion.
Contracts run July 1 to June 30 as that is the district's financial year.
The state decided when budget votes were to be held.
Contracts can be settled ahead of time, and that is actually a good thing. This way the business supt can accurately figure revenue/expenditure for the upcoming budget. Most times they have to make an estimate of what they think the settlements will be for any expiring contracts, and put that amount in the estimated budget drafts as the board works on them for a few months.
Once a budget has been voted on, if the contracts aren't settled, you're crossing your fingers that the final amounts can be covered by what's in the budget, as it can't be changed after a passing vote! Money can be transferred from other areas in the budget if necessary, but then those areas get shortchanged possibly.
A smart business supt will let the board know what the maximum percentage is that they could approve for any contract according to how much he/she put in the budget. At least that way they have a fighting chance of coming out even in the end.
I see a rather large issue in approving a contract before a budget vote, BOE's have historically paid little attention to the financial aspects and laid the issue of going austerity on the shoulders of the voters. Superintendents have little feel for what the community is willing to bear, if I was running a business I would rather know the budget before the contract is signed, not after. Also letting the community vote on the entire budget before any contracts are signed would take the pressure off the BOE's.
The other part of this is that the voters need to know what the budget is for the life of the contract, not just year one. Look at Central Islip where the attorney negotiating the contract for the district recommended against the unions offer of roughly 9% a year and the superintendent approved it anyway, I have little faith in superintendents business sense.
I see a rather large issue in approving a contract before a budget vote, BOE's have historically paid little attention to the financial aspects and laid the issue of going austerity on the shoulders of the voters. Superintendents have little feel for what the community is willing to bear, if I was running a business I would rather know the budget before the contract is signed, not after. Also letting the community vote on the entire budget before any contracts are signed would take the pressure off the BOE's.
The other part of this is that the voters need to know what the budget is for the life of the contract, not just year one. Look at Central Islip where the attorney negotiating the contract for the district recommended against the unions offer of roughly 9% a year and the superintendent approved it anyway, I have little faith in superintendents business sense.
It's pretty good when it comes to THEMSELVES and getting compensation higher than the governor of the State with some of them rivalling the POTUS, though isn't it? Especially considering most of them run districts that are tiny little blips of population compared to the populations served by the governor, the POTUS and even the person who runs NYC schools.
I personally think LI's school superintendants like and encourage 2 generous raises a year no matter what the economy is doing for teachers because then they can point to the platinum teachers' contracts as their "excuse" to pay themselves like the rockstars of the local civil service world. Which is what they make sure they get in their "rarified" positions.
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