This is quite appropriate for this area given the current hostile environment the Carthage area is experiencing with the school budget proposal.
The Empire Center for New York State Policy issued an analysis of submitted data for the Education Department's annual school property tax report cards and found spending per pupil increased an average of 5.8% or approximately 1 1/2 times the rate of inflation and per pupil levies increased by 4.2% while inflation was estimated below 4%.
Results of the data show 20% of the school districts statewide proposed spending plan increases at or below inflation. Northern New York regional data shows budget changes in per pupil spending at 6.4%.
Locally, there is hostility in Carthage as elected officials have objected to the school district budget increase.
How do we measure up:
Statewide Averages
Spending 5.8% increase to $18,768 per pupil
Levy 4.2% increase to $10,796 per pupil
Jefferson County Averages
Spending 8.3% increase to $14,111 per pupil
Levy 4.6% increase to $3,330 per pupil
The big gainer according to the report in Jefferson County was
Watertown City School District.
Spending 17.5% increase to $12,971 per pupil
Levy 9.9% increase to $3,081 per pupil
The hot spot of Carthage
Spending 5.6% increase to $15,273 per pupil
Levy 4.2% increase to $2,819 per pupil
Ironically, Lyme has the highest per pupil spending at $17,584 while neighboring General Brown is the lowest at $12,141. Conclusion might be a merger be examined in that area.
Total school budgeted spending for Jefferson County is $262,662,945.00 (no report from Belleville Henderson included)
Lewis County Averages
Spending 6.6% increase to $17,095 per pupil
Levy 5% increase to $4,339 per pupil
St. Lawrence County Averages
Spending 6.9% increase to $17,998 per pupil
Levy 5.7% increase to $5,171 per pupil
"A government big enough to give you everything you want,
is big enough to take away everything you have"
Thomas Jefferson
5 comments:
Did you read the letter to the editor from the TI Central Superintendent? Is this guy for real. If the the amount you raise by taxes is up over 6% so are your taxes. This guy obviously wasn't a math teacher.
Sackets Harbor is up over 7%. Join the club.
So Jefferson County looks to be spending considerably less per pupil, and probably getting equal or better results, why am I not surprised.
A perfect example of how the star program has failed us. As the state continues to lose it's population base, we continue to expand our programs in our school's. Add space that the state requires. The taxpayer in this state is just short of choking right now. With energy costs for car and home, more and more will leave New York State. Then the one in eight figure for government employee's will grow worse. Those that stay here will be an endangered species. The day of reconcilation is here
Yes, I read the letter from Slattery, Superintendent of T I School District. What a lot of gobble-degoop! If they found 11 million in un-taxed properties, seems that would help make up some of the deficit. Heaven forbid that our teachers should ever have to give up anything. It's time eveyone had to suffer in these hard times, not just the lower class.
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