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More Money! When Superintendent Rhau and some Board members speak about our low ranking compared to the spending levels of other Ulster County school districts, their focus is on one aspect of a much larger picture. They speak about how it will hurt the “children” if the budget is not passed, containing a new “administrative position.” Mr. Rhau and the Board need to consider and acknowledge the big, local tax, picture and realize what really hurts our children, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends in many New York localities. This is the highest local tax burden in the United States, right here, and through out Upstate New York. With all the same public services, why and how do other States spend less? The local public school system is the largest local employer, with above average local salaries, the best benefits, tenure, earlier retirement eligibility, seven hour days, annual days off galore, compared to most working people, and a segment of the Board, along with the Superintendent, want more. Has the local student population grown? The New York State Education Department has published the “Overview of District Performance in English language arts, Mathematics, and Science”, February 2005. The Ulster county district is comprised of schools from, Ellenville, New Paltz, Highland, Kingston, Marlboro, Onteora, Rondout, Saugerties, and Walkill. District-wide Total Expenditure per Pupil has Onteora spending the most at $16,633 per pupil. Saugerties spends the least at $10,828 per pupil. The other districts fall in-between Onteora and Saugerties per pupil spending cost. Does more money relate to the quality of education? Saugerties High Schools achievement ratings after four years of instruction in English, Math, and Science are comparable and on par with all other Ulster County school districts. All Ulster County school districts, for the most part, scored above NY State average percentiles. Middle level English, Math, and Science, also has Saugerties on par with all other county school districts. All county school districts Middle level performance ratings were above NY State average percentiles. The best news in this report is Saugerties Elementary level English, Math, and Science, performance ratings are not only on par, they are arguably the best in Ulster County. You can view these documents for yourself at; http://emsc32.nysed.gov/repcrd2004/links/c62_dist.shtml. For some Board members and the Superintendent the cry for more money and the threat that a smaller school budget will hurt our children is blatant demagoguery. This distortion and this all too old propaganda siren song, is apparent, in a statement made by one of the Board members who deems necessary, excessive budget spending. Here is a quote from the Daily Freeman, April 19, 2006, article,” Saugerties school tax levy up 5%” “ We are hurting the education of these kids,” said Parisian. He said he, too, is feeling the strain of school taxes, noting that his tax bill had increased $6000 in the past year. Still, Parisian said that it should be the “responsibility” of not just the school board, but also other governments, to lower taxes. Parisian along with Buono, Brennan, MacIsaac, McCaig, and Kovac, voted to increase spending 6.99 percent and increase the tax levy by 4.97 percent. Due to the nature of this statement (Assessments and Taxes), SAGA had to research and verify the accuracy of this statement. Here is what we found on the Saugerties tax rolls for 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 school years.
Parisian Analysis $9848.86 (05-06) total property tax {School, Village, Town and County} -$7674.02 (04-05) total property tax {School, Village, Town and County} =$2174.84 total property tax increase over this past year for Parisian.
Did we miss something? Are you paying for someone else’s property tax? If so, SAGA apologizes. These two links demonstrate and help clarify the local tax burden. http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/67459.htm http://cbcny.org/2006StateVsLocal.pdf
Steven Haun, SAGA 4/2006 |