The New York "State Aid Runs" are available as a several megabyte PDF from the NYCOSS Blog.
The Newburgh School District is on page 52. The total anticipated aid for 2009-2010 is $131,294,135. The total projected state aid for 2010-2011 is $128,514,368, a reduction of $2,779,767.
The NSD BOE and administartion has its work cut out for them!
Expenses must be cut and cut across all budget lines. Last year's budget was a beginning, but much more needs to be done to reduce taxes.. The old mantra, "do it for the kids" pales against the reality of the deep and continuing financial pain all homeowners are still dealing with today. Adding up the unenemployed, underemployed and those still working with little to no increase in wages over the past three years is a lot of taxpayers still suffering. Small and large businesses are still seeing little in improvement of sales and are doing little to no hiring.
Unmandated programs and academic courses, after school activities and layers of administrative, clerical, TA and teaching staff need to be cut. It is time for this district to stop its practice of propping up the city of Newburgh at the expense of those of us also struggling to make ends meet. Like the rest of us who are making the needed cuts in expenses, the district needs to do the same without a tax increase.
Also, stop blaming "contractual obligations." for increasing taxes. If employees will not make concessions to the reality of suffering taxpayers then simply cut positions to reduce any tax increases. This can be done without affecting the mandated courses and programs. there are plenty of unmadated courses, programs, supplies and equiptment that NSD chooses to offer over and above what is mandated. NY is broke, aka, there are no more tax dollars to dole out. NSD needs to clearly, understand that the tax dollars that fed the appetites of unmandated spending in the the past are over.
This economic shift downward is not a a momentary hiccup or passing phase. The economic downturn is real and deep and here to stay for quite awhile. It's time to be responsible with real adjustments and cuts by the BOE for the long term. The time is here for those retired NSD teacher members of the board, the politically connected members of parent groups and other stakeholders to abondon their "loyalty" to their respective constituants and rise up to a more important challange; to reduce the financial burden on the struggling taxpayer and focus on the core, mandated programs that define a NY education.
My unemployment ran out
My unemployment ran out two weeks ago. I've got 6 weeks of savings left and after that I'm homeless. I've been applying for any job. I'm far past hoping for something in my field or even near what I used to make. I'd take $10 an hour just so I can pay the mortgage. Most of the unemployed in my field lost their jobs due to no fault of their own; people with college degrees (BS, MBA, MS, PhD).
I read about public employees and their union bosses arguing that they deserve raises, health insurance and pensions; all at taxpayer expenses. All of this, despite the fact that the people they “serve” are already hurting financially and emotionally.
To deny the true nature of this region’s depression is a slap in the face of every taxpaying American. No more of these salary increases, super-generous pensions and lifetime healthcare benefits. Cut back on the excess of programs that are not required to graduate. I also hear parents arguing that we must “sacrifice for our children.” Well here’s a news flash, many of us have given already and we’ve got no more. Shut up, grow up, and show some compassion, for crying out loud, and stop with the ideological blubbering.
Public sector employees, including schools, need to feel the pain that we in the private sector are feeling. Your insistence that the world conform to your own narrow view of how things should be prevents you from seeing the world as it is.
The Great Depression didn't come into full force until about four years after the crash of 1929. There is no reason to believe we are going to get away from the same effect.
NY State deficit grows to $8.2B
From the EdVantage Bolg -http://blog.nyscoss.org - "It should be expected that the Governor will rely overwhelmingly on additional cuts to close the new deficit. Since School Aid comprises nearly one-third of state General Fund spending, additional proposed cuts to education seem probable...Moreover,[Assembly Speaker Sheldon] Silver expects the numbers to get even worse as revenue falls short in February and March. He said revenues in those months would need to grow 37 percent over last year to meet the new estimates. This level of increase appears to be highly unlikely,” Silver said. quoting from aTimes Union article - http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=896617&TextPage=1...
NSD offers nearly 300 courses, many not mandated, but cost $$$
Found on the NECSD website is the catalogue of HS courses including nearly 300 course. keep in mind NY State Ed requires a student earn 22 credits for either a Regents or Advanced Regents Diploma. That equates to approximately 6 courses (periods) in each of the first and second HS years followed by 5 courses in each of the third and fourth HS years. So what else fills the remaining periods of the day. For one it is lunch and then the other NONMANTATED COURSES - courses not required for a NY diploma. And these extra course cost tax dollars. Every 5 periods of these unmandated courses cost $60-$100,000 for teacher's salary, benefits and expenses.
Included in these extra courses are the 11 Advanced Dance, Debate I-III, Placement Placement Calculus, Physics and College courses., Add to that 10 AP courses, 3 Fashion Design courses, 3 Foreign Area Studies, 5 Photography courses, and such courses as College level Astronomy, Clothing and Textile care, Criminal Procedures, Culinary Arts, Entrepreneurship, Focus on Fashion, Hair and Makeup for Theater, Intro to Criminal Justice, Principles in Marketing 1&2, Video Short Story and many more. The point is that these are UNMANDATED, courses the BOE chooses to spend our tax dollars on at the will of their vote to administrative requests.
The administartion, teachers and BOE frequently complain and remind taxpayers about having to spend millions of tax dollars on unfunded or underfunded mandated state and federal programs such as special ed, but are silent about their collective willingness to spend MILLIONS MORE to hire more staff and build more facilities for NONMANDATED COURSES.
Millions of tax dollars can be saved and Property Taxes Reduced when the NECSD BOE with their vote eliminates this unmandated spending.
School Districts have to learn to do without
from Feb 3 issue of the Times Herald Record, "Assemblywoman Nancy Calhoun, R-New Windsor, expressed doubt about whether the Legislature could balance the budget and give schools more money. "We may have to learn to do without," she said."
Area Schools Getting Busy Cutting Costs - What's NSD Doing?
the TH Record has published an article identifying cost cutting measures area school districts are taking for now and the new 2010-2011 school year. Topping the list appears to be reducing and consolidation of bus routes, offices and services. Read the details at - http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100220/NEWS/220...
The REALITIES of BUDGET CUTTING are beginning to sink in
from the TH Record - Voters will say no unless schools beat them to it - "A state that spends so much, where the education budget is 40 percent above the national average, should be able to find places to cut. All it takes is somebody to say no." - Complete Editorial at - http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100214/OPINION/...
from the Journal News - Peekskill schools face difficult choices -"First, there needs to be an appeal to the school district union employees, whose salaries make up the largest part of the budget, to partner with the administration to dramatically cut costs during this year's contract negotiations. ...In addition, we as a community will need to prioritize student programs through careful and deliberate decision-making... Some options include reducing or eliminating programs such as: pre-kindergarten, Advanced Placement classes, sports teams and other after-school activities." - Comnplete article at - http://www.lohud.com/article/20100218/OPINION/2180337/1076/OPINION03/Pee...
All NESD staff need to cut back on salaries and tax paid benefit
After reading the NSD Teachers Contract some neighbors and I were more than shocked at the tax moneys we have been paying for such generous salaries and benefits. Here are the facts quoted from the contract -
1. A teacher hired in 2006 started at $42,774 and at the start of this school year, 2009, earned $50,462. that's nearly a $8,000 raise in 3 years!
2. If that same teacher earned 48 college credits in that same period there would be additional raises along the way making that teacher's salary $56,743, a $14,000 raise after 3 years!
3. Every teacher is given up to 250 paid sick days at the rate of 15 per year of employment plus additonal days off for personal use, death in the family and birth of a child. Additional paid sick days are available if the board approves or from a sick bank.
4. Up to 1% of the staff can be granted a paid year off.
5. Any teacher holding elected office is entitle to up to 5 days off for these official work
6 Teachers who retire after 20 yrs with NSD are entitled to payment for up to 278 unused sick days
7. Teacher contribute 7% toward their health insurance.
8. The district pays 100% for all retirees health insurance
9. The district pays at lkeast $1.1 Million toward a Dental Insurance plan
10 The district makes a $500 additional payment to each teacher after receiving a Masters Degree in addition to a raise in salary.
We are six NSD taxpayers, professionals; contractor, accountant, engineer, bankera nd supervisors. None of our employeers offer such generous salaries and benefits. We have an axg of 18 years experience with additional degrees and certifications and we contribute 18 - 40% toward our health insurance. We earn additional degrees and certifications to keep our jobs. Raises are given for performance, not because we have additional college credits. We make due with 15 -21 sick days which include personel time off and none of us gets paid for not using them. We enjoy 3-4 paid weeks off a year.
We strongly urge the Board to renegotiate a more realistic contract this coming year and lower the cost to the taxpayers.
Residents call for unions to get real with the new economy
The current Newburgh Teachers contract expires this June, 2010. This is the time for the BOE and administration to get real with language that will reduce taxes and bring teacher salary and benefits in line with the new economic realities. Currently, contract language, agreed to by past BOE gave out generous benefits and salary increases and allowed teacher to earn raises averaging 4-6% a year or more. Not only do they currently get a % increase for each year, but on top of that get additional % increase for earning additional college credits. Today the typical NSD teacher earns from $50,000 to nearly $100,000 a year. Hardly a poorly or under paid salary for 10 months / 185 days of classroom work PLUS nearly fully paid HEALTH INSURANCE and for many a FULLY PAID, GAURENTEED PENSION for life. After 37.5 yearrs a teacher retires with 100% health insurance, MEDICARE PREMIUMS PAID by the taxpayers and nearly 80% of their final avg salary, about $80,000 dollars. (this figure does not include extra pay for coaching, chaperoning and an assorted other after school extra$ that raise the lifetime pension).
Compare this to the 50-60% of taxpaying households IN THE DISTRICT who are making under $50,000, working 50 weeks a year, PLUS paying a lion's share of their health insurance (if offered) and contributing to their own PENSIONS with no GAURENTEE of any particular pension amount and facing the cost of MEDICADE and HEALTH insurance into retiremnet.
The days of the maiden, underpaid, school mom are gone and so are the excuses for all of these benefits that are strangling the taxpayer.
NON MANDATED $TAFF COSTS TAXPAYERS IN THE MILLION$
Several posters have spoken of how NSD needs to cut NON mandated costs. Folloowing are several job categories the district is spending taxpayer monies for employees that are NOT required. The number and salary costs are approximate because the exact numbers for this school year are not available.
12 School Library Media Specialists - total $1,125,000
15 - Directors total $1,530,000
3 - Executive Directors $361,000
1 Co-ordinator of PARENT INVOLVEMENT - $55,000
1 Communication Specialist - $68,000
That's over $3 MILLION
Found in the 2009-2010 budget - NON MANDATED ITEMS
Educational Television - $436,000
Computer Asst Instruction (software - $1,100,000
Athletics - $950,000
Various Travel Expenses - $100,000 plus
Debate Club Travel Exp - $40,000
That's another $2.5 MILLION
Area Schools Announce Plans to Cut Staffs to Reduce Taxes
LEWISBORO — School district officials said that by Friday they expect to notify 25 to 30 teachers that they may be laid off, a move that comes after the teachers union refused to accept a voluntary wage freeze in the coming school year.
Yonkers Schools Superintendent Bernard Pierorazio said the budget would force his district to cut more than $22 million in spending and would lead to massive layoffs.
MAMARONECK — The school district might lay off 54 employees as it tries to "close the gap" between shrinking revenue and growing expenditures next year by cutting about $7.5 million from its 2010-11 budget, Superintendent Paul Fried told residents Tuesday.
Some districts have already started. North Rockland has cut 99 staff positions in the past three years.
Early school budget picture not pretty
An article in the Journal News clearly spells out the financial difficulties faced by BOE and the tax paying public.
http://www.lohud.com/article/20101250350
Some of the article's main points -
"Due to a variety of recession-related factors that taxpayers will hear about ad nauseum through the spring, many school districts may have to make unprecedented spending cuts for 2010-11 if they are to avoid sizable tax increases. Officials are openly talking about increasing class sizes and cutting teachers and other staffers, steps that would have made some suburbanites queasy in the recent past."
"People are at a place right now where they can't afford anything more," said Bryan Burrell, executive director of the Rockland County School Boards Association."
"Kevin Barry, a lawyer who once served on the district's budget advisory committee, offered a step that he said "everyone is afraid to address": cutting teachers.
He said the only way to seriously reduce spending is to cut a chunk of salaries and benefits."You have to go after the big item," he said."
"Joyce Blum, who has served on the Garrison school district's budget advisory committee, said the committee helped prevent a tax increase this year by urging line-by-line cuts."Many people are hurting and simply can't afford higher taxes," she said. '
"Next year, when the federal stimulus money ends, things may be even worse," said Lisa Davis, executive director of the Westchester-Putnam School Boards Association."
Stimulus$ is Nearly Gone, Non Mandated Programs Need to Go
The TH Record reports that NY has nearly exhausted its share of federal stimulus money for the 2010-11 school year. This means that school districts, already facing cuts in state aid will also be getting little to no stimulus funds. These funds were used to save jobs and continue many UNMANDATED programs. Many school boards used this extra money last year to continue funding the extras - sports, after school programs and all of those courses not required for a NY Regent Diploma. More programs means more staff and more tax dollars needed for NONmandated programs. It is ironic that the school districts cry foul when mandated programs are underfunded, but take millions of our tax dollars to fund non mandated programs and the salaries needed to staff them.
THRecord stated -"Federal stimulus money may have only provided a one-year safety net for some New York school employees. The federal stimulus shored up 957 jobs in the mid-Hudson region last year, but, with money drying up, administrators are looking at cuts next school year. The 34 mid-Hudson districts reported creating about 880 jobs and saving 77 in the fourth quarter of 2009 using federal stimulus money, according to information from the state Education Department. "
THR also reported - "Middletown Business Administrator Betsy McKean said. The very positions saved by the stimulus, which are non-mandated, will likely be the first to go if cuts are made." Well said and very true!
THR article - http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100209/NEWS/209...
Unpaid School Tax Bills Go Unpaid
Quoted from the Times Herald Record, 2/8/10 - "In Orange County, unpaid school taxes are up over 8 percent from a year ago, and 26 percent from two years ago — although the number of taxable land parcels has increased about 13 percent during that time as well. Only in Sullivan County have unpaid school tax levels remained relatively flat.
"It's an indication that people are just unable to handle the burden of school property taxes," Auerbach [Ulster County Comptroller] says. "That's a substantial amount of the people's nut."
Read more about taxpayers' difficulties with rising school tax bills at http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100208/BIZ/2080...
While the writer makes some
While the writer makes some good points, there are parts of this argument that are faulty. It is wrong to treat education like other small businesses. That business model popular during the 1980s and 1990s does not work, as numerous articles have pointed out. In addition, most educators not only work here in Newburgh, but they also live here. Paying those same property taxes, and spending their money locally.
All of the courses are reviewed and/or changed in intervals to determine if they are meeting the district's goals. After school activities keep our children in a safe learning environment, plus some of these programs are funded by grants. Eventually, all equipment needs to be replaced in a school or home. There are other ways to save money, besides violating a contract which is a teacher's only protection against the whims of a superior. There does need to be more accountability and transparency from everyone who works in the district, especailly upper management. However, as the eighth largest district in New York, reducing staff is not practical.
The last paragraph is spot on. They should, "abandon their 'loyalty' to their respective constituants. However, the most important task is providing a quality education that helps our children compete natiaonally.
Public School Spending is out of Control
Your reply offers no concrete examples of how the district can reduce expenses and effectively freeze or lower property taxes. Your comments are typical of an employee of the district. Simply alluding to "more accountability and transparency" is an empty arguement. List specific examples of such to make a factual arguement that will freeze or lower property taxes.
What reliable and valid "article" can you quote that says otherwise? As you stated "That business model popular during the 1980s and 1990s does not work, as numerous articles have pointed out." Here's one that contradicts your claim -
The US Dept of Ed 2008 Digest reports, "While other non-public sectors have increased productivity, improving outcomes while reducing labor costs, schools have done the reverse. From 1980 to 2006, student enrollment grew by 17.9 percent, while total school employment grew by 47.9 percent. In 1955, there was 1 teacher for every 27 students; by 1997, there was 1 teacher for every 16 students." (US DOE 2008 Digest)
As for, "most educators not only work here in Newburgh, but they also live here. Paying those same property taxes, and spending their money locally." So what - so do many non-public employees of numerous local small and large local businesses and statistics show they are taking pay cuts and losing jobs in order for the business to contain costs. They spend locally, but more carefully and do not have the money to pay increasing taxes.
Staff can be cut among the non-mandated courses. NSD and those "special constituants" have CHOSEN to add these elective programs. They are not required for graduation, even at the Regents level. The state is cutting back on aid (aka more taxpayer $$$). Like households that have seen a loss of income, NSD must cut expenses beginning with the extras. These extras are fueling the always rising tax bill onto taxpayers with fix incomes, declining incomes and savings.
The NSD teachers' contract expires June, 2010. There is no need to "violate" the current contract. This is the time and opportunity for the BOE to show independence and recognize the new economy and its effect on households and rewrite the terms of salaries, stipends and contributions to health care plans to take place on July 1.. Local industry averages show that salaries across many job catagories have been frozen or reduced. Non-public employees are contributing 30-50% toward health care insurance, if offered at all. It is time for teachers, who now earn ( 45K - 95K), as much or more than the average household in this region to match such contributions (30-50%) made by many of the taxpayers to their employer provided health insurance plans. Such language can be writtten into the new contract.
Finally, you make the usual empty appeal, "the most important task is providing a quality education that helps our children compete natiaonally." May I remind you that after a decade of spending nearly a BILLION TAX dollars for staff, supplies and "programs" 40-50% of NSD students still fail to meet minimum NYS math and English standards. That's a lot of students who are ill prepared to " compete nationally" at tax payer expense. That's not a very productive measure of how effective NSD has been educating students. By the way, isn't that the major reason many NSD schools are labeled "In Need of Improvemnet' by the NYS Ed!
While this is not the venue
While this is not the venue to talk about that, I am just a concerned parent and a homeowner.
Accountability and transparency will not lower our tax cost per se. However, it will allow us to cleary see where our money is going, why it is going there, and if it is the best effective use of our money. In this way, the extra can be cut after proper evaluation.
Here is a link to a good article about using the business model, http://epicpolicy.org/files/EPRU-0205-59-OWI.pdf
However, I should clarify that I do believe schools and busineeses should work together.
Smaller classrooms do make a difference, http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/feb02/vol59/num0...
Schools do not produce widgets and are not profit making organizations. Their commodities are humans who learn in different ways and at different times.
Perhaps the answer is to secure revenue from income tax, so that everyone feels the burden of educating our children, and not just property owners. We should lobby for this.
I am not sure about which non-mandated courses you are referring. I am also not sure if you are saying that students are forced into these classes. Please be specific.
I would submit that there re good teachers who deserve their pay in comparison to the amount of college years they have put in, and the type and amount of work they do on a daily basis. And there are some who should seek employment elswhere.
Ahhh. The health care debate...
Actually, the number of schools with the label "In Need of Improvemnet" has been reduced, https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb-rc/2008/9d/AOR-2008-441600010000.pdf. Further, the issue is more complex than just meeting a once in a year test.
I agree that there should be some hard numbers/percentages as far as how we can have more students pass the exams and graduate.
Fianlly, I must say that I enjoyed your viewpoint. It has allowed me to see more sides of the issue.
Teachers Stand Their Ground While the Public Suffers
Reading what this teacher-poster says adds to the many posts across the blogisphere from other public school teachers - Teachers DESERVE and DEMAND growing incomes, next to free health insurance, taxpayer defined pensions (up to 75% after 25 years), smaller class size, extra programs and such. We owe nothing to the hard hit taxpayers who must dig deeper into their pockets to pay ever rising taxes despite the fact that their incomes and savings dwindle in this economic downturn. And teachers always remind us that they "work with your children!" So pay up!
Parents are also to be called accountable. Their constant demands on a weak, can't say NO, BOE have piled on the EXTRAS in programs all in the name of "do it for the kids" and send the bill to the rest of the taxpayers. PS - state and federal funding is still taxpayer funds!
The previous post reminds us about the failure of the NECSD to educate over half of our students - is dead on right. After years of constant failures it was necessary for the intervention of the state and additional hundreds of millions of more tax dollars this district would be an educational disaster. And still the best the staff and administration can show for it is still nearly half of the students failing. For tooooo long the taxpayers have been told to pass budgets, pay more to improve instruction. The facts speak for themselves - you took the money and failed.
It is time for all employees of the NECSD to -
Pay much more for THEIR TAX FUNDED HEALTH INSURANCE
Take a WAGE FREEZE
INCREASE CLASS SIZE - Teacher quality and Classroom management skills are what matters
REDUCE the number of electives - NOTE to the teacher poster - I'm sure you know what non-mandated, elective courses are.
NY state has lossed BILLIONS in tax revenues, there is LESS money(tax funds) to pass onto school districts and other municipalities.
The Federal stimulous money is running out.
Property owners, like the state, is out of funds.
NECSD must cut millions from its budget.
All staff need to learn to do with less in salaries, benefits and spending, just like the thousands of taxpayers.
I don't know if being
I don't know if being labeled a teacher is a compliment to me or criticism of teachers. I also don't know if you have children, and if they have had a succesful experience here.
Good teachers do deserve their pay, but should not demand it. I just came from a district sponsored workshop for parents that was very helpful and delivered by volunteer teachers (they have done several workshops in the past, and will most likely continue).
They (NECSD, legislators) should examine ways to bring the cost of health insurance down for everyone. NECSD is able to have a cheaper rate because they purchase more. For most teachers it is the same state system that other public employees have. Perhaps negotiating a better price or shopping around, along with low-cost incentivess for teachers to stay healthy would help.
Students need consistency. I do not want my child's teacher out for a long period of time because he or she was sick from something preventable.
Pensions are also similar to other public employees.
I agree with you. We need to significantly raise our graduation rate in real numbers especially for some groups. I also agree that teacher quality and classroom management make a bigger difference than class size. But, class size is still important for students to get the attention they need.
I seriously do not know of extra unneeded classes. However, I do believe that transparency will bring those classes to the forefront. Please, give me one example.
New York State's financial loss is partly because of mismanagement in many areas.
Bottom line - there is a cost for public education.
Again, maybe spreading that cost among all taxpayers, allowing schools to keep a larger reserve fund in times of prosperity, rescinding unfunded mandates that districts must pass on to us, but don't improve education, should be considered.
I strongly believe if we hold NECSD accountable, especially in the area of raising our graduation and college acceptance rate, and fiscaly transparent, the cost would be something we could live with.
PRO NEWBURGH "TEACHER" LIVES IN A BUBBLE
My household is typical of many of my neighbors - We pay 30-50% for our health insurance, if we want a pension we must contribute at least 50% into a 401k - most of us have not had a raise for the last two years - others have lost jobs or took a pay cut - after 20 years most of us get 14 - 25 days vacation and 14 - 18 sick days - our household incomes have dropped from 15 -35% over the last two years - we are cutting back on extras to save money, but our taxes keep rising.
Teachers and all public employees can not insist that they are special enough to be exempted from cutbacks. Pay more for health insurance, for pensions and cutback on staff who are absent more than average. The taxpayer's wallet (those who pay the bulk of the taxes) and saving are down or empty. The board needs to cut expenses and jobs to keep the tax increase to zero.
To the last poster, NYS is BROKE, whatever the reason, NO MONEY means no more tax dollars, whatever the raeson. the money is gone. It is time for all govt to cut back and function with less money - like the rest of us.