Our Views: School Districts Need Your Vote

The Island Now

Be careful what you wish for.

 In June 2011 Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law a 2 percent tax cap on local government and school district property taxes and the overburdened homeowners of Nassau County cheered.

The cap applies to all counties, cities, towns and villages outside New York City, and to all fiscally independent school districts. Residents saw the cap as a means of pressuring local government to live within its means.

However, as local school districts plan their budgets for the 2013-2014 the consequences of the tax cap have become painfully clear.

Manhasset Superintendent of Schools Charles Cardillo warns that his school district will have a difficult time maintaining what he calls the “4 A’s – of academics, athletics, activities and the arts – without exceeding the state-mandated tax cap.”

“The issues that we’re going to be dealing with in 2013-14 and perhaps 2014-15 are external issues,” he said. “They’re not created by mismanagement; they’re not created by inappropriate fiscal planning. They’re created by the fact that these external factors are coming at one time and put our district at risk.”

The tax cap could force a reduction of up to 14 full-time employees at the elementary level and 14 more full-time employees at the secondary level in Manhasset. In addition, Cardillo said, he would be forced to eliminate all interscholastic athletics in grades 7-12. 

But even these drastic cuts would not be enough to balance the budget. 

East Williston Superintendent Elaine Kanas has issued a similar dire warning.

Fortunately the cap is not absolute. School districts can exceed the cap if they get the approval of a supermajority of at least 60 percent of school district voters. 

But districts that fail to win voter approval to exceed the cap after two tries must freeze their property tax levies.

In contrast the caps for counties, cities, towns, villages and special districts can be overridden by a vote of at least 60 percent of the local governing bodies. There’s little risk of that not happening.

But for the schools it’s not a done deal. Cardillo explains that on May 21 his district will need approval by 60 percent of the voters.

“Requiring a supermajority vote is punitive,” he said, “If 4,000 people vote and 2,399 vote ‘yes’ while only 1601 vote ‘no’ the budget would be defeated. Where’s the outrage?”

In our view, it is the public schools, more than anything else, that make Nassau County a great place to live. In some cases the schools offer opportunities not seen anywhere else in New York. For example, this spring Great Neck South High School will present the opera “La Boheme.” That’s a remarkable achievement and a rare opportunity for a high school student.

Every year our public high schools have semifinalists and finalists in the prestigious Intel and other science competitions. Those who read this paper on a regular basis will know that the elementary schools are also extraordinary.

The 2 percent tax cap could greatly reduce opportunities in both science and the arts.

Eliminating high school sports would be a total disaster. Baseball, football, basketball, lacrosse, soccer and other sports will all be gone and with them scholarship opportunities.  Beyond that sports are part of the high school experience and not just for the athletes.

We urge residents to make certain that their school districts are exempted from the tax cap.  

Superintendents Kanas and Cardillo and others have gone to great lengths to make certain that the school budget process is transparent and fully explained on district Web sites in language that is easy to understand.

We are confident that if you know what’s at risk you will make sure that your district has the supermajority it needs to be exempt from the school tax cap.

Share this Article