The Yates County Chamber of Commerce is embarking on a grassroots campaign to address the inequities of the New York system of awarding state aid to the various school districts.
In the current economic climate, all school districts face budgeting challenges. In view of this situation, school districts find that the state aid portion of the budget takes on a much greater significance. Simply increasing taxes does not address the problem. Now is the time to review the inherent unfairness of the current state aid distribution formula.
Consider the following:
1. Long Island school districts are allocated 33 percent of the entire aid package right up front, with the remainder then distributed to the rest of the entire state system. Current distribution of aid is inequitable and money continues to be sent to districts that don’t actually need it.
2. The Ramapo Central School district in Suffolk County offers the following: fitness center, spinning rooms, pool, amphitheater, planetarium, auditorium and gym. Some of these features could arguably be seen as extravagant. Districts that can afford these types of extravagant features should not receive increases in state aid when districts that have basic programs receive decreases in state aid.
3. The Manhasset Public School of Long Island provides their students a choice of five languages: Spanish, French, Italian, Latin and English. They also have access to Rosetta Stone, where they can additionally study Greek, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Korean, Arabic, German, Hebrew, Irish Gaelic, Japanese, Polish, Dutch, Hindi, Persian Farsi, Swedish, Vietnamese, Turkish and Tagalog. In Yates County schools, the maximum choice that you may have is three: English, Spanish and French. Therefore, our kids cannot get an education that is equitable when compared to more wealthy districts.
4. A recent valedictorian from a local school was denied admission into a State University College because her high school’s curriculum was not "robust" enough.
Now is the time to address these gross inequities. The underprivileged children of rural upstate districts should not have to compete against their privileged peers from affluent downstate districts, which have well connected lobbyists protecting their interests.
The state Department of Education mission statement is "to raise the knowledge, skill and opportunity of all the people of New York. Our vision is to provide leadership for a system that yields the best educated people in the world." This is not being accomplished due to the activities of the elected leadership within state government. The Legislature and governor should work with greater vigor to reach equities in terms of the delivery of state aid so that all students will have a quality and meaningful education.
We urge you to contact your elected official regarding this issue. Contact the Chamber at (315) 536-3111 for a list of officials and a copy of a form letter that you can modify for your use.
Michael Linehan is president and CEO of the Yates County Chamber of Commerce.
The Yates County Chamber of Commerce is embarking on a grassroots campaign to address the inequities of the New York system of awarding state aid to the various school districts.
In the current economic climate, all school districts face budgeting challenges. In view of this situation, school districts find that the state aid portion of the budget takes on a much greater significance. Simply increasing taxes does not address the problem. Now is the time to review the inherent unfairness of the current state aid distribution formula.
Consider the following:
1. Long Island school districts are allocated 33 percent of the entire aid package right up front, with the remainder then distributed to the rest of the entire state system. Current distribution of aid is inequitable and money continues to be sent to districts that don’t actually need it.
2. The Ramapo Central School district in Suffolk County offers the following: fitness center, spinning rooms, pool, amphitheater, planetarium, auditorium and gym. Some of these features could arguably be seen as extravagant. Districts that can afford these types of extravagant features should not receive increases in state aid when districts that have basic programs receive decreases in state aid.
3. The Manhasset Public School of Long Island provides their students a choice of five languages: Spanish, French, Italian, Latin and English. They also have access to Rosetta Stone, where they can additionally study Greek, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Korean, Arabic, German, Hebrew, Irish Gaelic, Japanese, Polish, Dutch, Hindi, Persian Farsi, Swedish, Vietnamese, Turkish and Tagalog. In Yates County schools, the maximum choice that you may have is three: English, Spanish and French. Therefore, our kids cannot get an education that is equitable when compared to more wealthy districts.
4. A recent valedictorian from a local school was denied admission into a State University College because her high school’s curriculum was not "robust" enough.
Now is the time to address these gross inequities. The underprivileged children of rural upstate districts should not have to compete against their privileged peers from affluent downstate districts, which have well connected lobbyists protecting their interests.
The state Department of Education mission statement is "to raise the knowledge, skill and opportunity of all the people of New York. Our vision is to provide leadership for a system that yields the best educated people in the world." This is not being accomplished due to the activities of the elected leadership within state government. The Legislature and governor should work with greater vigor to reach equities in terms of the delivery of state aid so that all students will have a quality and meaningful education.
We urge you to contact your elected official regarding this issue. Contact the Chamber at (315) 536-3111 for a list of officials and a copy of a form letter that you can modify for your use.
Michael Linehan is president and CEO of the Yates County Chamber of Commerce.
