Over the last several years, school districts on Long Island have been flooded with state and federal aid — so much so that they will now be spending $39,000 per student, the most in the nation.
All this is happening as the number of students on Long Island is actually decreasing. Yet, schools are continuing to submit budgets that increase taxes.
Many will brag that they are within the cap. But this is not what it seems. There are so many exemptions that it is common to have a tax rate with a 3.9% increase, yet still supposedly within the cap.
Many residents with taxes of $13,000 for their small plots saw increases of $1,000 last year. Where does it end?
This is especially frustrating as we see states such as Mississippi and Florida, whose residents pay a fraction of what we do in taxes, yet see their students outperform us in the classroom.
It’s time for schools to cut the number of their administrators, consolidate their purchasing power (especially on items such as food, transportation, security, and buildings and grounds), and stop adding one unnecessary program after another.
Let’s get back to the three Rs and the basics in our school systems.
Other states and nations have proven that more money is not the answer.
So many of these school administrators feel taxpayers won’t feel a 4% increase, but the cumulative effect is daunting.
How do we send a message other than occasionally just saying “NO!” to these proposed increases?