|
Post by justfacts on Apr 10, 2006 8:09:56 GMT -5
To all Real Estate semi-Experts out there:
Some threads have had the "sky is falling in" response to our Contingency Budget in Plainedge causing a glut of homes on the market at prices that are falling through the floor. Others have disagreed. Some say it is the ever increasing School Tax that is responsible for the same effect.
Here's a chance to take a broader look across the Island and it's wider market-place. Homes prices are still risng, although not as rapidly. The number of homes that are not moving within so many days has only changed slightly. New homes are moving faster - and at good prices.
So, lets add a touch of reality to our armchair talks about the home market-place.
***************************************
-------------------- Who'll blink first: buyers or sellers? --------------------
BY RANDI F. MARSHALL, Newsday Staff Writer, April 10, 2006
Anna Rajber is willing to wait.
Rajber has been trying to sell her Jericho home since July, even knocking the price down from $769,000 to $739,000. But she's not ready to bend more to make a sale.
"I think the house is still worth the money," she said. "I don't think it's overpriced."
Mauri Chotin-Zemachson and her husband, Scott, are willing to wait, too. The Manhattan couple hopes to move to Roslyn or Jericho, but so far they think the houses aren't worth the prices.
"I'm going to look until I find it," Chotin-Zemachson said. "I don't think I'm going to lower my expectations."
And there's the problem. For home buyers and sellers, this spring is telling a very different real estate story, one the region hasn't seen in nearly a decade. It may be the heart of the selling season, but the frenzy of years past is gone, replaced by a far more tentative market.
This season's results will likely speak for the future here, too.
"It will tell us how the housing market will perform over the next year or so," said Pearl Kamer, the chief economist with the Long Island Association. "The spring tells it all."
The story is not a simple one. Far more houses are for sale now, but sellers are trying to get the prices their former neighbors got and buyers are waiting for rock-bottom prices. Nassau, Suffolk and Queens had a total of 25,156 listings in February, compared with 14,653 a year ago.
But prices are still on the rise, albeit at a far slower pace. And houses are selling -- as long as the price is right. What's more, the number of days a house is on the market has barely changed. Kate Rossi, president of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, which has offices in Long Island and Queens, said the average number of days on market now is 82, compared with 80 a year ago.
"It's definitely not a seller's market but I don't want to call it a buyer's market either yet," said Dorothy Herman, the chief executive of Prudential Douglas Elliman, which has offices in Manhattan and Long Island. "It's somewhere in between."
The shift is under way. The market slowdown led the spring selling season to get off to a later start, most experts say.
And in another indication of the market, The Dallow Agency, a Weichert Realtors affiliate, had 40 to 50 houses on the Long Island Multiple Listing Service two years ago. Now, it has more than 200, according to Levittown-based broker Rich Dallow.
Sellers are listing now in an attempt to beat market declines. And buyers are being choosy, sometimes continuing to shop, even after a binder has been signed, experts say.
"You have a sense that there are two homes on nearly every block that are either for sale or coming for sale," said Judy Markowitz, broker for Re/Max Millennium in Flushing.
The market for new homes is far different. With very few new homes available, supply is still outstripped by demand.
For instance, Michael Dubb, of The Beechwood Organization in Jericho, is building 720 units at the former Roosevelt Raceway site in Westbury, and said about 100 have been sold. He said he may even raise prices and isn't worried about selling the rest.
"It's still a sellers' market in construction," said Bob Wieboldt, executive director of the Long Island Builders Institute.
Nonetheless, the new-home market appears to feel the impact of the slower resale market, said builder Alec Ornstein, a partner in Ornstein Leyton Co. in Garden City. "We haven't yet seen the pop that we normally get in the spring," said Ornstein, who is also president of the Institute. "I still think it's a very viable market, but ... there's certainly a cooling off."
In resales, that's even clearer, as buyers spread out among the for-sale signs. Dallow said open houses now have an average eight or nine attendees, compared with 15 to 18 a year ago.
The number of buyers could decline, as "fringe buyers" -- those who could only afford low mortgage rates -- will be priced out, noted Martin Cantor, chief economist with Sustainable Long Island, an advocacy group.
That's why some sellers are trying to get their deals done now. Take Don and Jeanette Tamargo. The Farmingdale residents listed their house with Dallow associate broker Larry Theodore in November at $499,000. They'll be closing on the sale for $485,000 later this month. The couple, who have three children, are spending $615,000 on a Manorville home first listed at $649,000.
"Everything said now was the time to do it," Don Tamargo said. "Who knows what's going to happen?"
No one does, of course. But most agree interest rates will continue to rise and prices will likely flatten or fall. The question: By how much?
"We're not going to have to get the paddles out to resuscitate this market," said LP Finn, director of corporate services for Coach Realtors in Northport.
Finn's point: Sellers will still sell and buyers will still buy -- just not at the pace of recent years.
"We're not buying stocks; we're not buying heads of lettuce," said Michelle N. Cohen, an associate broker for Century 21 Laffey in Greenvale, who is working with Rajber and Chotin-Zemachson. "We're buying homes. ... There's still a need. People always move."
Nonetheless, if a weaker spring is followed by an even weaker summer or fall, that may put the market on notice. And that's when the reality check will come, said appraiser Jonathan Miller, with Miller Samuel in Manhattan, because there's seasonal "static" now.
"We're not seeing the gloom and doom at this point that had been anticipated," Miller added. "But we've got rising inventory, and potentially rising mortgage rates, and when you put those things together, that is not a good thing."[/i]
Copyright (c) 2006, Newsday, Inc.
*************************************
Nary a word about "High taxes" nor a word about "Austerity" I guess those that are "buying upscale" are more concerned about mortgage rates and bargining for lowest price among the greater quanity of homes available.
Ed.
|
|
|
Post by gopybl on Apr 10, 2006 8:25:10 GMT -5
Ed,
Excellent points....You are absolutely correct that market conditions are influencing the values of our homes. However, wouldn't you agree that when people are selecting homes that School District factors into the equation? I purchased here 9 years ago and felt that my children would be provided the best oppportunity to succeed in the Plainedge School district.
I am concerned that if we DO not pass this budget....That good families seeking the best for their children will not want to raise their children here. Thus they would be deterred from purchasing here. The people who then would purchase here would be individuals that are not concerned with the school district or the services offered their children.....That would be a scary situation to face.
Ed, thanks again for the update and I look forward to working closely with you in getting this budget passed. Take care.
Joe Amalfitano
|
|
|
Post by justfacts on Apr 11, 2006 12:11:57 GMT -5
Hey! Maybe living in Plainedge isn't that bad after all! How'd you like to be making the budget decisions being faced in Roslyn? ***********************************-------------------- Roslyn budget lines drawn -------------------- School board's plan to hike school taxes 12 percent draws ire of many, but others defend spending level BY JOHN HILDEBRAND, Newsday Staff Writer, April 11, 2006 Given the financial scandal their district has weathered, some Roslyn residents are fuming over recent spending proposals that include new tennis courts, Spanish lessons for kindergartners and free summer recreation services. But what has really divided this affluent Gold Coast community is the school board's decision -- over the objections of its own budget advisory committee -- in favor of an overall $86.8-million budget for next year that would hike homeowners' taxes a projected 12.16 percent.Roslyn's school budget goes to voters on May 16, along with other district spending plans across the state. "What is happening is that they're taxing people out of their homes," said Cary Ratner of East Hills, a business owner who was on hand Thursday to protest the school board's 6-1 vote in favor of the 7.87 percent spending increase.PTA leaders applaud the higher budget. They say it would restore elementary foreign-language lessons and other services eroded or lost after the district's $11-million financial scandal unfolded. To restore public support, Roslyn had held annual spending increases under 4 percent over the past two years. "We want to bring our school district back to the quality level it deserves," said Gail Silberman of East Hills, a mother of two and co-president of the district's Coordinating Council of Parent Associations. Next year's budget would restore and expand Spanish lessons in grades K-5 and add technology specialists and four classroom teachers at Roslyn High School. Parents had complained that some high school classes were too large at 30 students, and that school computers and textbooks were outdated.
Along with the budget, Roslyn's board has approved a $4.1-million ballot proposition for construction, including $900,000 in unspecified "field renovations." Proposals under discussion include four new tennis courts, though district officials say they won't reach a final decision until April 25 on whether to approve that project.Officials add that the proposition will be paid for through recovery of stolen funds and will not raise taxes. Some taxpayers would rather see recovered money used to hold down rate hikes. Copyright (c) 2006, Newsday, Inc. **********************************So! Maybe our Budget decisions are a lot easier to make than those in Roslyn! ;D Vote your Convictions ~ Not your Frustrations! ;D Cantatore ~ Presuto ~ Raymond ! The cool team that's given us a new BOE! Ed.
|
|
|
Post by justfacts on Apr 11, 2006 16:01:20 GMT -5
Or those being faced in Hempstead!
Now, these are some real issues!
***********************************
-------------------- Hempstead board calls for layoffs --------------------
BY KARLA SCHUSTER, Newsday Staff Writer, April 11, 2006
Just nine months after financial and administrative chaos led to an intense state monitoring program in Hempstead, the school board has adopted a budget proposal that could result in more than 100 layoffs while members talk openly about bouncing the superintendent.
The five-member board last week unanimously approved a $124.5 million budget for the 2006-07 school year, which is $2 million below a contingency budget -- a state-mandated spending level required only after voters reject a school budget twice.
If approved next month by voters, the budget would lower taxes for the average homeowner about 12 percent, school officials say. The current year's budget is $120.3 million.
"We had a lot of waste in this district," said board member Tim Butler. "Some people will be laid off, but hopefully not as many as who got notices. I don't think this will affect the quality of education because, let's be honest, we haven't had quality of education here for some time now."
While unusual, proposing a budget below contingency is not unprecedented. Last year, slightly less than 10 percent of New York's approximately 700 school districts proposed budgets that were below contingency level for the first budget vote, but nearly all were small, upstate systems. And virtually none proposed budgets so far under contingency level.
Depending on retirements, Hempstead's budget plan could require laying off 46 classroom teachers -- including many bilingual staffers -- 12 security guards and 77 teaching assistants, said Superintendent Nathaniel Clay.
He had proposed a $131 million school budget, noting that $124.5 million will threaten the 7,500-student district's ability to meet a host of state-mandated goals.
Since last summer, the state has kept a close eye on Hempstead, issuing evaluations every three months with specific items for improvement, notably bilingual education and security.
State education officials said they could not comment until they reviewed the district's budget proposal.
"This budget is really a slap in the face to the mandates we have from the state," Clay said. "It's not the budget I wanted but it's the one we're going to have to live with."
Clay may not have to live with it for very long. Board members are publicly voicing their lack of confidence in Clay's leadership, and Butler said the board's evaluation of him last month was "poor."
"I'm not thrilled with his performance," said board President Ralph Schneider. "If it came to a vote, yeah I would have to support getting rid of him. I'm not sure we're ready for that just yet, but I don't feel he's strong enough to take us into the coming years."
Clay said he will fight any effort to remove him. "I've done everything they've asked," he said. "It's just going to bring more instability and litigation."
Copyright (c) 2006, Newsday, Inc.
|
|
|
Post by gopybl on Apr 11, 2006 20:51:51 GMT -5
Ed - Thank god we are not dealing with those issues....However, we have our own issues that need dealing with. Thats a discussion which needs addressing after the elections.
|
|
|
Post by justfacts on Apr 19, 2006 13:57:24 GMT -5
WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO BECOME!
What hppens when the "Professionals" and the "Semi-professionals" get involved in running a School District.
This just illustrates that the Board positions are meant to be filled by local residents of varied skills representing community interests. Not by persons with personal agandas based upon their past work as hired hands or volunteers within the system. Go to someone elses system!
Latest Newsday artical:
************************************************
Ex-schools chief running for board
BY KARLA SCHUSTER, Newsday Staff Writer, April 19, 2006
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
Less than a year after she was fired, Hempstead's former schools chief this week announced her candidacy for the school board that axed her.
Susan Johnson, a Hempstead native who is suing the district over her firing last July, is among seven candidates vying for two seats on the board. They include incumbent Timothy Butler and civic doyenne Betty Cross, who said residents collected the signatures to get her name on the ballot, hoping to convince her to run.
"I paid a lot of dues in this community and helped a lot of people and so they went out and drafted me," Cross said yesterday. "I haven't made up my mind if I want to run."
Cross had served more than 20 years on the board when she chose not to run for re-election last year citing health problems. She was among the members who fired Superintendent Nathaniel Clay and replaced him with Johnson in 2004.
Last summer, with Cross gone and former board member Thomas Parsley forced to resign after being convicted of a felony, the board fired Johnson and re-hired Clay, who remains in office.
Johnson said she has "no hidden agenda" against Clay and would have "no problem" serving with members who fired her. The board has lately been critical of Clay, with members talking publicly of ousting him.
"I'm running because there's still a lot of work to do in this district," Johnson said Monday after filing her candidacy.
Parsley predicted another strange reversal of fortune for a school district that has already hired and fired the same two people as superintendent -- Johnson and Clay -- twice in less than two years.
"I think on Election Day, the public will speak and Susan Johnson will be a member of the school board and Nate Clay's boss -- isn't that an irony?" he said.
Clay did not return calls yesterday. The district has been the subject of increased state scrutiny for months and is under investigation for corruption and misspending by the Nassau County District Attorney's office and the U.S. Department of Education.
The other candidates for the two-year terms are civic activists Dorothy LaPierre and Richard Dykes, and former school administrators Charles Renfroe and Gladys Rivera, who said the board's infighting spurred her to run.
"I've been in education for 32 years and I live in Hempstead ... I couldn't just sit and watch anymore," Rivera said
Butler and school board President Ralph Schneider said the candidacies of Johnson and Cross only reinforce the district's reputation for chaos.
"I really don't know what these clowns have in mind," Butler said. "It's just a joke."[/i]
Schneider blasted Johnson's record as superintendent and said the district "would be better off with Betty Cross as far away as possible."
Copyright (c) 2006, Newsday, Inc.
|
|
|
Post by justfacts on Apr 21, 2006 10:21:47 GMT -5
Not a Newsday Headline! Here's a report about another School District, about the same Budget size as Plainedge, and one coming off a Contingency Budget year. It is striking that their situation is similar to ours with but one exception - The size of their Administration portion of the Budget!
Imagine if all that difference in dollars between their Administration Budget and ours, was made available to the Program part of our Budget.***********************************************Amity School Board works to put together new budget, by Carolyn James At one of its first budget workshops, Amityville School District officials outlined its budget goals, which included maintaining all current programs, class size and increasing staff development for all grades. The district also hopes to upgrade its technology program to supplement curriculum offerings and to control expenses through efficient management of resources. The district is currently operating on a contingency budget as a result of the defeat of the 2005-06 spending plan last May."As always, the budget process includes a balance between what is needed and what is wanted," said Enrique Catalan, assistant superintendent for finance and operations. "In an ideal world we can have everything but we have to strike a fine balance and the budget always represents what we believe to be in the best interest of the children." The budget workshop was held March 8, and as of that day the district was proposing a budget for the coming school year of $64,120,233. That is an increase of 6.95 percent in spending and a projected tax levy increase of 6.9 percent. The tax levy is the amount raised for the budget through local real estate taxes and represents the figure upon which the annual tax rate is determined. In the Amityville School District, residents living in the Town of Babylon have historically picked up approximately 75 percent of the tax levy, while residents living in Oyster Bay have picked up approximately 25 percent. Since the district's state aid package is still not finalized and the equalization rate and assessment figures are not in, Catalan said he could not even estimate what the impact of the initial budget projections would have on the tax rates at this time. School Board President Diane Egglinger was quick to point out, too, that it is still early and that "this budget is a work in progress." The board does not have to vote on a final budget until April 19. In the meantime, the district is looking to use surplus funds to complete some major capital repairs. Listed as possible projects are roof replacements at the high school and middle school; a new high school all-weather track, new playgrounds at Northeast and Northwest, a resurfacing of the tennis courts and new fencing and security cameras. A plan to install an irrigation system at the high school athletic fields is also being proposed. At this point, Catalan said he estimates that the district will have a fund balance of approximately $2.4 million, enough to complete the work, though Catalan made it clear that this is not a final figure and the costs are only estimates.In the area of technology, the district hopes to invest $250,000 in the coming year. "We are in the process of looking at deploying all hardware throughout the district and start redeploying equipment so that next year we have at least one computer for every secondary classroom and two at the elementary levels," said Catalan. Central administration services, which represent 8 percent of the total budget, are conditionally listed to go up $101,400, from this year's total of $593,469. This includes the cost of salaries and supplies in the Superintendent's office, business administration and BOCES.[/b] The district will hold another meeting to review and discuss the proposed spending plan tonight, Wednesday April 5. The budget vote is scheduled for Tuesday, May 16. *************************************************Just what is a reasonable amount of administration cost for a School District the size of ours? Maybe that cost should be researched - and the number used as a goal or Target Value by the new BOE in future Budgets.[/i] Ed. It's all over but the celebration! Now, on to getting the children their fair share of the Budget!
|
|
|
Post by techie on May 1, 2006 5:59:47 GMT -5
School costs are totally out of whack Raymond J. Keating
May 1, 2006
Just how costly are Long Island's public schools, and how long are taxpayers willing to suffer?
In April, Newsday quoted the Long Island Pine Barrens Society's Richard Amper praising a proposal to spend $50 million on open-space preservation in Suffolk County. Amper said: "The reason open space is good for taxpayers is because deer don't go to school."
Even though government's buying up land actually is a bad deal for taxpayers, Amper's comment highlighted the extreme costs of public education on Long Island. Many overburdened taxpayers likely agreed with the sentiment. After all, anything has to be cheaper than adding more children to the local public school rolls. Right?
Isn't this ironic? The public school establishment continually proclaims that taxpayers must spend more to help the children. But, in reality, school budgets and taxes have gone so far awry that an anti-child backlash has emerged. Schools have become so costly that it is not unusual to hear opposition to building new homes because they might house more children needing education. Expensive schools also chase away our children when they grow up and have their own kids.
How sad, how perverse, how anti-child.
With school budget votes coming on May 16, people need to understand just how out of whack education costs are in New York, especially on Long Island.
Let's consider a few key spending facts. According to 2004 U.S. Census Bureau data, New York per-pupil public school spending ranked second highest among the states, topping the U.S. average by 56 percent. Naturally, the spending disparity was even more drastic on Long Island. Long Island's per-pupil total spending numbers, as reported by the State Education Department, exceeded the New York State average.
In Nassau County per-pupil expenditures averaged a staggering $16,943, with Suffolk following close behind at $14,974. As if this was not bad enough, 22 districts actually spent more than $20,000 per pupil, with Bridgehampton topping the list of all Long Island schools at an astonishing $49,000 per student.
Meanwhile, we keep hearing that more state dollars reduce local school taxes.
From 1994 to 2004, per-pupil state contributions jumped by 65 percent in Suffolk and by 117 percent in Nassau, compared with general inflation's 21 percent jump over the same period. Yet, property tax burdens mounted. That's because more state revenue - coming from the state taxes we pay - simply meant more to spend.
Of course, teacher and administrator salaries rank as the big-ticket spending items. New York's average public schoolteacher salary ranked fourth highest in the nation in 2004.
The latest data from the State Education Department offer median salaries for 2003. They were $69,658 in Nassau, the second highest among counties in the state, and $61,408 in Suffolk, fifth highest. Top salaries in Nassau school districts were East Williston at $89,023 and Manhasset at $86,679, while in Suffolk it was Fire Island at $86,300 and Sachem Central at $81,966.
As for administrators in 2005, more than 230 had salaries of $150,000 or more. In total, more than 1,500 public school administrators on Long Island received pay of $100,000 or more.
Of course, don't forget the lavish pension and health care benefits piled on top of these lucrative public school teacher and administor wages.
In the end, big salaries, more spending and higher taxes are not about the children. Countless places across the nation pay teachers and administrators less, spend less per pupil and inflict far lower taxes, with children doing just as well or better. Instead, costly local public schools are about lavish compensation for teachers and administrators, who, by the way, face no substantive measures of performance.
Will Long Island voters wise up, or will this costly anti-taxpayer, anti-child trend continue? May 16 will tell the story.
Raymond J. Keating can be reached at rjknewsday@aol.com. Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.
|
|
|
Post by justfacts on May 1, 2006 8:23:50 GMT -5
And here is some more late breaking news about Budgets!
And we think Plainedge is high? Look at those for Patchogue and East-Moriches!
Ed.
******************************************* -------------------- LI schools propose budgets with lower increases -------------------- BY JOHN HILDEBRAND, Newsday Staff Writer, April 30, 2006
After taking a pounding at the polls two seasons in a row, Long Island schools are coming back to voters this month with the lowest proposed tax increases in seven years.
If the proposed budgets pass, school taxes Islandwide would rise 6.2 percent on average next year -- down from this year's 7.9 percent and last year's 9.5 percent. From Southampton to Oceanside, school officials cite a combination of causes behind the lower increases, including tougher negotiations with teachers unions, more money from the state, and a leveling-off of student enrollments.Voters will decide May 16 on school budgets totaling $9.1 billion.
"After what happened last year, the public isn't going to stand for big budgets, and I don't blame them," said the new Sachem schools superintendent, Charles Murphy, who referred to the record number of budgets that voters rejected last year. Sachem, which failed to win voter support of an 18.1 percent tax hike last year, now is calling for a 1.6 percent increase.
Still, taxes would continue to rise faster than inflation in most districts. Eleven school systems, including East Islip, Middle Country and Patchogue-Medford, are calling for double-digit rate hikes next year, and East Moriches seeks 33.4 percent.
Even with the belt-tightening, some students and parents fear a repeat of voting patterns from the past two years, when budgets were turned down, forcing cuts in sports, bus rides and student clubs.
"A lot of people just don't like taxes," said Veronica Silva, an 11th-grader in the Central Islip district, which is operating on a restricted budget because of a "no" vote last spring. The Chilean-born 16-year-old spoke at a recent civic forum about her fears of another budget rejection, and of the frustrations felt by many immigrant parents who are not citizens and cannot vote in school elections.
Under state law, school systems failing to win "yes" votes in two attempts each spring are expected to curb spending. This creates a dilemma: If districts try the following year to make up for losses in student services through big hikes in taxes, they risk angering voters even more.
Patchogue-Medford, for example, is proposing a $139.7-million budget for next year with a 9.6 percent spending increase and a 19.2 percent hike in taxes -- bigger increases than it sought last year. The proposal includes $1.5 million to cover sports and other student activities eliminated this year. The district's superintendent, Michael Mostow, says he expects the plan to pass, but may have to lay off dozens of teachers if it doesn't.
Plainedge also wants to restore sports spending next year. Its proposed $63.5-million budget would raise overall spending 10.5 percent and taxes 8.8 percent. While some residents accuse the district of holding sports hostage, others insist that restorations are essential to maintaining the district's quality.
"Eventually, you've got to pay the piper, or who's gonna want to live in the district?" said Ed Parlow, a father of two. He led other parents last year in raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to save varsity teams.
Elsewhere, school administrators say they're trying to keep budgets lean, despite rising costs beyond their control such as oil prices and health-insurance premiums. Another factor is teacher salaries, which are increasing 5 percent to 6 percent annually.
Across the Island, spending increases would average 6.7 percent next year -- down from this year's 7.3 percent and last year's 7.9. Figures are based on proposed budgets and tax levies that districts submitted to the state last week. Levies are the amounts raised through local property taxes, and increases in those district-wide levies may differ from tax-rate increases on individual homes.
In Southampton, a proposed $46.5-million budget would raise next year's spending 3.3 percent, compared with this year's 5.4 percent. Savings there were achieved last summer when teachers agreed, after a year's tense negotiations, to contribute 10 percent of health-insurance costs.
Oceanside's $111.4-million budget would increase spending 5.6 percent, compared with this year's 6.4 percent. A leveling-off of enrollments there has helped the district curb hiring and costs.
In some communities, taxpayer groups contend that what appears to be savings may be fiscal sleight of hand. Fred Gorman, founder of the Nesconset/Sachem Civic Association, notes that Sachem's low tax hike was achieved in part by using $2.5 million left over from a construction bond to pay next year's debt service. Such funds will not be available to pay off debt in years to come.
Said Gorman: "They're pushing the tax increases into the future."
Copyright (c) 2006, Newsday, Inc.
*********************************************
|
|
|
Post by momma3 on May 1, 2006 10:14:51 GMT -5
Wow, talk about viewing things with rose colored glasses. I would not be too proud of the fact there are only 2 districts in Nassau County with double digit tax increases and we are one of them!!!! Did you look at Seaford,Wantagh,Bethpage. It is a sin 10.55% Some one has to say it!
|
|
|
Post by thewildrover on May 1, 2006 10:29:34 GMT -5
Momma, Please read my post on "School Board Elections"...... WE will never have to be subjected to this again.
If it wasnt for the community involvement it could have been worse.!!
WE are making strides towards CHANGE.
It's not the first drop of water that splits the stone.
It is a "Leap of Faith" that we here in Plainedge need to make that our newly elected BOE members will Save Our Schools
Thanks.
VOTE YES FOR OUR KIDS VOTE YES FOR THE BRIGHT FUTURE OF PLAINEDGE
|
|
|
Post by techie on May 11, 2006 21:57:44 GMT -5
LOST REVENUE
With a NEW & ACTIVE BOE, could this have been us at Packard?
Nassau to roll out new police academy BY SID CASSESE Newsday Staff Writer
May 11, 2006
A new Nassau County Police Academy will open in Massapequa Park at the end of this year, county officials said yesterday.
The academy will be housed in the Hawthorn School, formerly an elementary school that for the past five years has been used by BOCES for instructional technology and teacher training.
"Our officers work hard every day to protect us and they deserve a top-notch training facility," said County Executive Thomas Suozzi. "This academy will provide the department with the latest crime-fighting equipment. ... This is another sign of our commitment to ensuring that the police department has the resources to stay the nation's safest municipality of its size."
County officials were expected to officially announce the academy plans at a news conference today.
Police Benevolent Association President Gary DelaRaba said it has been "a long, hard fight" for his union to get the county to move in this direction, a first-class facility. "And Mr. Suozzi didn't do this by himself. The PBA pushed hard for this, and the [county] legislature cooperated."
Judy Jacobs, the county legislature's presiding officer, called the new academy "a win-win situation for residents, the department and us elected officials."
School district officials could not be reached last night, but Suozzi said an agreement has been reached between the county and the district on the lease of the 50,000-square-foot property. Officials have not determined the cost of project. The lease would go before the county legislature for approval.
A regular class usually has about 150 recruits who train at the academy for seven months. The new academy will be able to handle those recruits and training for 50 officers.
The new site will have 2 1/2 times the space of the current academy, a bunch of prefabricated trailer-like buildings located at the county jail in East Meadow since 1996.
"Yeah, we've had to go through prison to get in and out of the academy," said DelaRaba, adding that his union has complained about its cramped and dilapidated conditions for years.
But Suozzi said his administration has been looking for the right site for years, "as well as for the money for it." Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.
|
|
bette
New Member
Posts: 29
|
Post by bette on May 11, 2006 22:37:44 GMT -5
The police academy was interested in Packard but supposedly it not meet their standards. Or was the plan always to make the Packard - Town switch?.......
|
|
|
Post by techie on May 14, 2006 8:02:45 GMT -5
Seven ways to ease the school tax pain
May 14, 2006
The pain is no case of regional hypochondria; it's real.
Long Islanders bear one of the nation's highest property tax burdens, which rises every year at well above inflation. But the brunt of the bill pays for some of the finest schools anywhere. And as voters consider their district budgets in Tuesday's balloting, they'll confront a dilemma with huge consequences for their and the region's future:
How can we rein in taxes that literally are driving some people from their homes, yet do so without hurting schools whose quality has driven up property values and made Long Island one of the most desirable places to run a business and raise kids?
Overall, the root causes of killer taxes include too much spending locally, too little help from Albany - in aid and legislation - and too much reliance on taxes that don't reflect ability to pay.
And the solution means embracing ideas that are bold and controversial or seemingly small but creative: everything from merging districts and shifting more of the burden to the income tax, to simply more cost-saving cooperation in purchasing and borrowing.
Many assaults on the status quo require state action. That means courage and skill from lawmakers. Our Senate and Assembly members must stand up to influential teacher unions and ease obstacles for school boards in collective bargaining. Legislators also must deliver more aid and tax subsidies, targeted to the poorest districts and owners.
One way that won't make much of a difference, at least within most districts, is voting against school budgets.
Last year, voters defeated budgets in a record 45 percent of Long Island's 124 districts. But in most of the districts that ended up on state-mandated austerity, spending did not go down much.
Limits to budget cuts
Why? Salaries and benefits account for the vast majority of school expenses, but personnel contracts - including pay hikes - are protected from voter wrath. And there's a limit on how many teachers can be cut before class sizes become counterproductive. So voting down a budget doesn't usually produce enough savings to justify the negative impact on students and on property values.
No doubt, some school boards - and their unions - needed a wake-up call. And judging by the proposed increases, the lowest in seven years, many districts got the message to squeeze harder. They are negotiating stingier contracts, asking employees to bear a greater share of skyrocketing health care costs, for example.
Still, it's not enough. The average tax bill will continue to rise at 6.2 percent. That's down from this year's 7.9 percent and last year's 9.5 percent. But it's impossible for many whose incomes have stagnated while household costs soared.
That's why Long Islanders must be willing to push for bold solutions. Here are seven to consider.
1. Merge districts. Many are small and close together, all with their own bureaucracies. But mergers would do more than save on administration. Larger districts could assign teachers and students more efficiently, allowing for a wider range of courses at a lower price and, where appropriate, larger classes. Larger districts also might have more clout in contract talks.
2. Help districts slow salary and benefit growth. Long Island teachers deserve to be among the nation's best paid. But raises shouldn't be automatic or, for now, exceed inflation. Even if a school board wins a zero annual increase, most teachers would still get a healthy raise through "step" hikes based mostly on longevity. The state, relying on a court ruling called the Triborough decision, gives teachers these even after contracts expire. So lawmakers must eliminate this and other bargaining disadvantages for school boards. They also can't continue to sweeten pensions.
3. Purchase cooperatively. Many districts save by buying in bulk or bartering services with other districts and governments. But as one recent study found, districts could do more. With health care costs soaring, for instance, districts could form regional self-insurance pools. They also might lower interest costs by borrowing collectively.
4. Tell the truth about taxes. Many homeowners see increases far higher than those announced by their districts before budget votes. This could create unneeded cynicism and financial hardship. And it appears to have become a particular problem in Nassau, possibly a result of a court-ordered reassessment and other unanticipated consequences of sharply rising property values. This complex situation should be studied carefully, without being politicized. But if the county's good-faith effort to end inequities for many owners has created new ones for others, changes must be made.
5. Rely less on property taxes in the first place. The tax bill is based on the paper value of a home. But what happens if the owner's income doesn't keep pace with rising values, not to mention spending, that far outpace inflation? He or she is in trouble, as many LIers are. Better to tax based on ability to pay. And no other levy better reflects it than the income tax. Districts should be able to impose one to replace all or part of their property levy. Or the state could add a surcharge on high earners and redistribute it within their region.
6. Target tax relief to hardest hit homeowners. The state should establish a "circuit breaker" for owners with the highest taxes relative to their income. This is an indirect way of shifting more of the burden to income taxes, the state's largest revenue source.
7. Bring more money from Albany to local schools. Long Island is one of the nation's wealthiest regions, but state aid formulas penalize many districts by treating them as richer than they really are and by not adequately recognizing regional costs. Enormous state STAR subsidies help ease the disparities - they're not as great as some critics claim - and so do huge recent aid hikes. But more and more of our districts aren't getting a fair shake from Albany.
These are but a few of the many ideas beginning to flow from all quarters. It's time to start acting on them. Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.
|
|
|
Post by techie on May 16, 2006 22:41:27 GMT -5
Nassau school budget results May 16, 2006, 11:27 PM EDT
School District Proposed Budget Increase Result Baldwin 6.3% Bellmore 5.9 Passed Bellmore-Merrick 5.7 Passed Bethpage 6.6 Passed Carle Place 5.7 Passed East Meadow 5.9 Passed East Rockaway 5.7 Passed East Williston 4.9 Passed Elmont 5.9 Passed Farmingdale 4.2 Passed Floral Park-Bellerose 4.7 Passed Franklin Square 5.9 Passed Freeport 6.3 Passed Garden City 5.7 Passed Glen Cove 4.9 Passed Great Neck 6.5 Passed Hempstead 3.4 Failed Herricks 7.0 Passed Hewlett-Woodmere 6.0 Passed Hicksville 7.3 Passed Island Park 6.8 Passed Island Trees 6.5 Passed Jericho 7.4 Passed Lawrence 5.3 Levittown 3.9 Passed Locust Valley 5.0 Passed Long Beach 5.2 Passed Lynbrook 5.5 Passed Malverne 6.0 Passed Manhasset 6.9 Passed Massapequa 6.3 Passed Merrick 5.3 Passed Mineola 7.0 Passed New Hyde Park 8.5 Failed North Bellmore 7.0 Passed North Merrick 5.0 Passed North Shore 6.5 Oceanside 5.6 Passed Oyster Bay 4.5 Passed Plainedge 10.5 Passed Plainview 6.2 Passed Port Washington 4.8 Passed Rockville Centre 5.6 Passed Roosevelt 15.0 Failed Roslyn 7.9 Failed Seaford 5.9 Passed Sewanhaka 5.9 Passed Syosset 6.3 Uniondale 6.0 Passed Valley Stream Central 6.0 Passed Valley Stream #13 6.5 Passed Valley Stream #24 5.0 Passed Valley Stream #30 6.4 Passed Wantagh 4.3 Passed West Hempstead 6.8 Failed Westbury 9.4 Failed
|
|