Tax cap forum:On the state’s new property tax cap; and how it will affect school districts

• Ulster BOCES Superintendent Charles Khoury• Catskill Superintendent of Schools Kathleen Farrell • Kingston Board of Education Vice President Matthew McCoy

Dec. 22, 2011

I would like to ask what you think is the best way to improve our local system and reduce overcrowded class sizes? I have been a home owner and tax payer in the district for about 8 years and this is the first year I have a child in the public schools. I have paid my fair share and voted yes on every tax increase, but now I feel that my daughter is being short changed. The school (Graves) she has started Kindergarten in this year reduced it’s K classes from 3 to 2. There are 25 children in each class. The Institute of Education Sciences, the research arm of the US Department of Education, concludes that class size reduction is one of only four, evidence-based reforms that have been proven to increase student achievement through rigorous, randomized experiments. Studies have shown that students who are assigned to smaller classes in grades K-3rd do better in every way that can be measured: they score higher on tests, receive better grades, and exhibit improved attendance. No more then 15 students in each class is said to be ideal. I brought this to the attention of the current school superintendent and was told I was lucky it wasn’t 30 and then he didn’t respond to any of my follow up emails. First off, this is no way to treat a concerned parent. Second, I want to hear from you how we can fix this. Education is the most important issue in a community, and we should concentrate on making it the best it possibly can for the local children. If these problems are not addressed and we continue to cut teachers and programs form these kids, I will have to vote no on next budget and encourage all other parents to do the same.Thanks for your time John Bell

I have on several occasions heard people mention voting to override the Property Tax Cap. Is this legal? If so, what good is a law that can be overridden? It is very clear that this law was enacted not only to protect

the property owners from skyrocketing taxes, but more importantly to give notice to the school districts that they have painted themselves into

a corner with the generous contracts that they have "negotiated" over the years. It's unsustainable and the time is now to make some tough decisions that every private sector business has had to do over the last ten years. These are reign in the salary increases, convert pensions to

401ks, and transfer more health insurance costs to the employees. These are the only ways to bridge the budget gaps and you don't have to close

schools or lay off teachers to do it.

Bob D'Angelo

I believe we don't need 11 school districts and Superintendents, Assistants, Directors, attendant staff, and others to administrative public school education in Ulster

County. Follow the example of other states and create one Administration per County. In Kingston we would avoid $4.M of our $12.8M shortfall, Countywide $65M. Since

Albany is dictating what's to be taught and how to determine pass/fail, we need to change our present Business Model and Business Plan to support the model to reflect current reality.

Ronald Dietl

Why cant the school spend less money?

Ed Pollan

How much are the tax cap exemptions likely to impact the average school budget in the region? Which exemptions are likely to be most often ones utilized?

Many regional school officials have emphasized the need for mandate relief to give districts the flexibility to operate within the cap. What are some specific examples of mandates that should be targeted for elimination? Which ones are the most troublesome and costly?

What other types of legislation can the state Legislature pass to make life under the tax cap more manageable for school districts? In what areas could more flexibility help school districts save money?

Many regional school districts have done five-year financial projections that show dire fiscal outlooks in the near future and/or down the road. Without any new legislation, how are districts going to adjust, especially smaller districts that don't have buildings to close?

Can a school district go bankrupt? What happens if a district cannot afford to meet state mandates and collective bargaining agreement provisions like class size maximums while staying under the cap?

What are the rules related to mergers between school districts? Where are there opportunities for savings? What types of challenges are associated with mergers?

On a related note, some people say New York should consider a countywide school district model like New Jersey. What would have to happen for the state to switch to such a model?

Is the new fiscal outlook going to change how school districts negotiate with public employees? If so, how?

What are some ways BOCES can help districts share their resources to preserve academic programs or even come up with new ones? What are some current proposals that are under discussion?

Could you explain why the tax cap may not stop people's tax levies from rising more than 2 percent?