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In order to lower your property taxes, attack the major source of high and constantly increasing property taxes by electing school board members who will reduce costs by standing up to the teachers' union and lower, not raise, teachers' salaries and who will also eliminate two-thirds of the administrative positions.
Walter,
Then where would all the teachers live? I guess not on LI......What about police? Lower them too? Where wil they live? Queens?
Why don't we cut out sports, music and after school activities.....we don't "need" them.
I think your points are valid; however, if you do consolidate into just 2 districts, you face a lot of the problems that, for instance, Cary, NC is facing. Yes, the schools rate well, but it is in the media all the time for mass confusion within the district. Kids are getting rezoned all the time, the overcrowding is so bad that there are trailors for additional classes, and most of the schools have switched over to year round calendars in order to provide education.
I truly can not see that happening on such a scale here. First, consolidating doesn't neccesarily mean closing school buildings, etc. It simply means taking all those boards AND all those administrators needed to run various school districts into one.. and giving the districts a better negotiating position.
See.. LI is already fully populated. There is not much land to buy and build that would require new school districts. Each neighborhood, since ith as it's own districts currently, have High schools, elementary and Jr' highs already in existance in each community. Re-zoning is not entirely neccesary .. .yes.. the "border" areas that spread across two districts may find themselves being "rezoned"
Consolidating is not as easy as I made it sound in my first post.. I understand that there are problems with it. For example, if you have a town that straddles two school districts and currently a home is zoned in school district A over B and A commands a higher cost in the house becuase it's in A.. but suddenly finds itself in "B" it would certainly present an issue for the homeowner of that now rezoned home. HOwever, the REAL fear for most in consolidation is .. let's say a Roslyn Student suddenly being bussed to say an Elmont SD.. somethign that realistically just wouldnn't happen, in my opinion. First.. it wouldn't make sense and in hte end woudl cost more inbussing.. Yes.. it is quite possible that someone from Elmont would be bused to Roslyn.. but depending on the circumstances.. and I don't think having someone from a seemingly underprivledged area getting a chance to educate in a more prominent area is a bad thing.
We could go all day back and forth about the pros and cons... a lot of people are opposed still to a consolidation. But , the truth of the matter is.. there needs to be consolidation and streamling in EVERY aspect of LI. from the special districts to the SD for there to really be any change in how ridiculous our taxes are.
Then where would all the teachers live? I guess not on LI......What about police? Lower them too? Where wil they live? Queens?
Why don't we cut out sports, music and after school activities.....we don't "need" them.
I do agree about administrative positions....
It's really quite sad..b ecause it's a snowball effect. The higher taxes and prices of everything on LI causes us to keep raising salaries that keep raising taxes.. that keep.. well you get the point.
Someone has to stop the ball from rolling any furhter out of control. There really needs to be ome HUGE changes on LI. But they won't come until it's too late for those that are still left.. in otherwords.. as more and more young people realize it's just not worth killing yourself to live here and leave.. LI will begin to suffer to the point where there will need to really chaneg in order to appeal to young families.. or to keep them. My whole family is gone.. Im last..and I will be out of here probably in about 1 year.
I truly can not see that happening on such a scale here. First, consolidating doesn't neccesarily mean closing school buildings, etc. It simply means taking all those boards AND all those administrators needed to run various school districts into one.. and giving the districts a better negotiating position.
See.. LI is already fully populated. There is not much land to buy and build that would require new school districts. Each neighborhood, since ith as it's own districts currently, have High schools, elementary and Jr' highs already in existance in each community. Re-zoning is not entirely neccesary .. .yes.. the "border" areas that spread across two districts may find themselves being "rezoned"
Consolidating is not as easy as I made it sound in my first post.. I understand that there are problems with it. For example, if you have a town that straddles two school districts and currently a home is zoned in school district A over B and A commands a higher cost in the house becuase it's in A.. but suddenly finds itself in "B" it would certainly present an issue for the homeowner of that now rezoned home. HOwever, the REAL fear for most in consolidation is .. let's say a Roslyn Student suddenly being bussed to say an Elmont SD.. somethign that realistically just wouldnn't happen, in my opinion. First.. it wouldn't make sense and in hte end woudl cost more inbussing.. Yes.. it is quite possible that someone from Elmont would be bused to Roslyn.. but depending on the circumstances.. and I don't think having someone from a seemingly underprivledged area getting a chance to educate in a more prominent area is a bad thing.
We could go all day back and forth about the pros and cons... a lot of people are opposed still to a consolidation. But , the truth of the matter is.. there needs to be consolidation and streamling in EVERY aspect of LI. from the special districts to the SD for there to really be any change in how ridiculous our taxes are.
I completely understand your point regarding Long Island being populated and established, compared to Cary. Excellent point. I will say that the Wake County schools will most certainly bus a child 20 minutes from their home as opposed to sending the child to a school that might be a few blocks away. Who wants that for their children?
I think maybe you think I'm opposed to blending children from different socio-economic backgrounds; hardly, as I am from a blended family myself. However, there is no way in he-l I would even consider allowing my child to be bussed to a school that is in what is widely considered to be a dangerous area. Why would I allow my child to go from a "safe" school (although anything is possible) to a school that employs security guards at every door?
Your notion is excellent as a universal ideal, but the particular problems are just too great.
Last edited by iluvmycuties; 05-12-2008 at 09:07 PM..
Reason: sp
I completely understand your point regarding Long Island being populated and established, compared to Cary. Excellent point. I will say that the Wake County schools will most certainly bus a child 20 minutes from their home as opposed to sending the child to a school that might be a few blocks away. Who wants that for their children?
I think maybe you think I'm opposed to blending children from different socio-economic backgrounds; hardly, as I am from a blended family myself. However, there is no way in he-l I would even consider allowing my child to be bussed to a school that is in what is widely considered to be a dangerous area. Why would I allow my child to go from a "safe" school (although anything is possible) to a school that employs security guards at every door?
Your notion is excellent as a universal ideal, but the particular problems are just too great.
I certainly understand because I wouldn't want my child bussed to an "unsafe" neighborhood or district. Of course if it were to happen there would certainly have to be some sort of set criteria.. pretty much that the kids go to the closest school to their home.. which is how it works here anyway. Most schools are filled to capacity or close to it in each neighborhood anyway.. as again the neighborhoods and populations are well established.
I really don't think bussing kids 20 minutes from home is very practical.. especially in this area where 20 minutes turns into much more with rush hour traffic. I was bussed to a different school outside my district but only because it was a special school (it was for those talented in the arts.. adn Iwent to that school half the day and my regular school the second half.. that woud be an acception).
I think it will someday happen on LI.. but it's way down the road. I'm not willing to suffer in waiting so Im' moving on.. as have many I know and many I know contemplating the same.
Will it be perfect.. absolutely not.. and certainly not every person will be happy.. but no system is ever perfect and certainly not everyone is always happy.. There are many kids in many different parts of this country that are getting an excellent education for a lot less money than we are for our kids and for 1/3 the cost in taxes.
I agree with you in regards to good education elsewhere. Yes, there are a LOT of schools in this country where the low taxes reflect in the education; however, there are a LOT of schools that reflect an excellent education despite the inexpensive taxes. And for anyone who thinks that you cannot get a great education unless you are paying high taxes, all you need to do is look at students from those low-taxed towns who are enrolling in Ivy League schools and other fantastic universities.
I wish you the best of luck. And if you are truly happy with your new schools, please let us know! I have sisters who are looking to move but have no idea where to go!
I already agreed with the other poster that Long Island is already developed; hence, no more over population.
While a young couple may not be able to afford to buy their own single family home, they will be able to finance an extension on a parents' single family home, and as more and more single family homes are converted into multi-generational homes, the population will continue to rise.
Very true Walter, very true. It is happening. Which illustrates how hectic it would become if we consolidated. Thanks for pointing that out.
And you forgot to mention Walter how so many of these two family homes are being taxed as single; however, everyone in that home is entitled to go to school.
Last edited by iluvmycuties; 05-13-2008 at 07:48 AM..
Reason: sp
And you forgot to mention Walter how so many of these two family homes are being taxed as single; however, everyone in that home is entitled to go to school.
It's my understanding that a multi-generational home, with one front door (one address) and one kitchen, etc., etc., is not the same as a two-family home, with 2 front doors (2 addresses), two kitchens, etc., etc.
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