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I don't know where I'd find this out, but I know that there are some states that fully fund their public schools. And yes, NY used to do a much better job of funding for districts and slowly but surely, they've taken a lot away, forcing districts to increase property taxes to make up the difference. Transportation and building aid are two biggies that have been cut back enormously, especially on LI.
Stop the nonsense. Teachers & administrators salaries and benefits consume about 75 to 80% of every school districts budget. That's insane...its not the state, its not transportation, its not sports, its not the electric or oil bill.....ITS TEACHERS & ADMINISTRATORS SALARIES & BENEFITS PERIOD!
I am not sure what form anything coming from Albany would take to resolve the tax issue and remember the teachers union has always been a powerful lobby as you can see.
My understanding is that the school boards give general guidance to the negotiator and I would hope COLA's and health are a part of that guidance. The board needs to inform the lawyer that they will not approve a 3% increase, teachers are not going to leave a district becuse they received the lowest COLA or had to pay more into their health plan. Actually freezing salaries would not be unfair since they have received 3-3.5% plus step increases under the current contracts.
The issue I have seen is that school boards simply roll over the prior contract without any change and the residents are not informed. That needs to change and taxpayers need to get involved early on to make sure they are represented.
Sure the union is powerful, but sometimes even they realize there are changes that are needed. It would be to their benefit to give a little to save face, but I understand completely that it doesn't happen often!
Yes, boards give their lawyer guidance as to what they want to happen in negotiations, and every piece of the contract can be on the table. They will offer a certain percent increase, the union counteroffers, back and forth, give and take. Sometimes a rollover is a good thing, but it shouldn't be used all the time. Residents should be informed, generally this is done at a board meeting once the union has voted and agrees to terms. Anyone can FOIL the final contract as well.
Taxpayers have little influence on negotiations. They can offer their opinions in public meeting, they can call board members, but they aren't going to get any information about how things are going - that's illegal.
From what the assistant superintendent in the Bayshore SD has told me, we on LI are also paying for the schools upstate out of our RE taxes.
Really, something has to be done about our rip-off school taxes.
What he really means is that we don't get back, in the form of aid, the equal amount of the taxes we pay to the state. Some of it goes to the city, some to upstate - as they are considered poorer than us.
There is a statistic called the CRW, Combined Wealth Ratio. If your district's number is over 1, you're either in a very wealthy district, or you aren't getting the aid you probably should be! Like my district, we have a few very wealthy people who seem to override the fact that we have an ever-growing poverty population. We haven't gotten our "fair" share of aid in decades. Ask your business person what your CRW is! They'll explain the significance of that number to you.
Stop the nonsense. Teachers & administrators salaries and benefits consume about 75 to 80% of every school districts budget. That's insane...its not the state, its not transportation, its not sports, its not the electric or oil bill.....ITS TEACHERS & ADMINISTRATORS SALARIES & BENEFITS PERIOD!
Seriously you are a Johnny One Note!
There is so much more to this issue than teacher and administrator salaries. You'd be better informed if you would listen and understand the impact of other items on your tax bill!
No one is saying that teachers and admins don't affect the budgets, we are saying there are several more items to be dealt with as well.
Seriously you are a Johnny One Note!
There is so much more to this issue than teacher and administrator salaries. You'd be better informed if you would listen and understand the impact of other items on your tax bill! No one is saying that teachers and admins don't affect the budgets, we are saying there are several more items to be dealt with as well.
Let's get REAL as to effect:
Teachers and admins = dollars, and lots of them
Other items to be dealt with = fractions of pennies
Sure the union is powerful, but sometimes even they realize there are changes that are needed. It would be to their benefit to give a little to save face, but I understand completely that it doesn't happen often!
Yes, boards give their lawyer guidance as to what they want to happen in negotiations, and every piece of the contract can be on the table. They will offer a certain percent increase, the union counteroffers, back and forth, give and take. Sometimes a rollover is a good thing, but it shouldn't be used all the time. Residents should be informed, generally this is done at a board meeting once the union has voted and agrees to terms. Anyone can FOIL the final contract as well.
Taxpayers have little influence on negotiations. They can offer their opinions in public meeting, they can call board members, but they aren't going to get any information about how things are going - that's illegal.
1. Public sector unions generally won't give in until after they've killed the golden goose.
2. It should be illegal for it to be otherwise, since the taxpayers are actually picking up the tab for it all. That's just another example of union and school board collusion.
Seriously you are a Johnny One Note!
No one is saying that teachers and admins don't affect the budgets, we are saying there are several more items to be dealt with as well.
Agreed.
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