Re: EWSD budget and the teachers union
Over the weekend, district residents received the East Williston School News Special Budget Issue in the mail. It brags regarding the district’s proposed $55,749,034 2014-2015 budget: “School District Budget is below the allowable tax levy cap. Tax levy is lowest in over a decade!”
It then goes on to show information on budgets from 2008-2015, telling us what a great job the district has done holding down costs.
A few comments to put the budget in perspective: From 2008-2014, there has been a seven percent (7 percent) enrollment decline in the district. Over the same time period, budgets have increased sixteen percent (16 percent). This equates to a net budget increase of twenty three percent (23 percent), or approximately four percent (4 percent) per year, on average.
East Williston’s proposed $55,749,034 budget equates to expenditures of $32,187.66 per student. This not including the actual cost of post-retirement medical benefits for which the district is obligated.
When the district’s actual cost for its unfunded post-retirement medical benefits of approximately $2,500,000 annually is included, the actual per capita annual cost increases to approximately $33,631.
This is nothing to brag about. Rather, if anything, it’s something to apologize for.
To put these costs in perspective, $33, 631 is more than three times the annual $9,870 cost per student at Chaminade High School, and seven times the $4,745 cost per student at St. Aidan’s grammar school, our local Catholic schools.
In short, measured by how things operate in the real world, where unlimited taxpayer funds are not available to be tapped, the EWSD costs are indefensible.
Having a daughter at Wheatley High School and a son at St. Aidan’s on his way to Chaminade, I can vouch there are good (and some outstanding) teachers at all three schools.
A major difference, however, is cost. The cost of those teachers is far higher in the public school system than in the Catholic system.
The indefensibly high public school costs are the reason for the high taxes on Long Island. In this regard, two/thirds (2/3) of property taxes are attributable to school taxes. School costs are the reason for the high taxes on Long Island. Period. And the reason for the higher public school costs is the teachers union.
Due to the political power of the teachers union, to which power our politicians routinely bow, their rhetoric to the contrary notwithstanding, we effectively have a monopoly educational system in the state. This with all the problems normally attendant with monopolies, i.e., high costs, limited innovation and comparatively poor quality when compared to a market based system.
We need a market-based system of education. Whether that would best be implemented via a voucher system, or educational tax credits, or some other solution is open for debate.
What there shouldn’t be much debate about, though, is the need for reform, or that the chief stumbling block to reform is the teachers union.
The teachers union is bad for taxpayers, kids and the country. Bad for taxpayers because it drives up costs which increases taxes.
Bad for kids because it limits their educational options. And bad for the country because our monopoly educational system lags much of the world in quality, causing us competitive disadvantages.
It is long past time for the reform of our absurdly expensive public school system which has been foisted on us by the teachers union. Unfortunately, given the palpable fear the union induces in our weak kneed politicians, on both sides of the aisle, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for it.
John O’Kelly
East Williston
