A Message From Assemblywoman Sandy Galef

A message from

Assemblywoman
Sandy
Galef

Financing Education & Education Forum

FALL 2003

Dear Constituent:

The upcoming legislative session in Albany may be the most challenging ever for the State of New York. Other states will be looking at the choices we will make in response to a court case dealing with the funding of education in New York City schools. This case has implications, I believe, for all schools throughout my 90th Assembly District.

The highest court of the state, the New York Court of Appeals, has said that New York City school children are not provided with the opportunity for a sound basic education as required by the State Constitution and the state must fix the problem. We have until July 30, 2004 to come up with a solution.

What will this mean to our own local residents who pay significant school property taxes? Will we pay more taxes and pass on the dollars to another district in greater need? Should the state take over the entire cost of educating our kids, instead of relying on local property taxes? What guarantees are there that more money will mean a better education system in New York City? Should we look at how we finance all of our schools and come up with a statewide solution for everyone? What are the systemic problems in the New York City schools and are they similar in other schools? How do we fix them? Do we have the will? Do we have the money?

These and so many more questions that you may have need answers. That is why I am holding a public forum on this important issue on Wednesday, November 12, 7:30 p.m., Cortlandt Town Hall, 1 Heady Street, Cortlandt Manor. This newsletter will tell you more about our forum, the informed experts to speak and answer questions, and the issues to be considered by you and those who must craft a solution. For directions to the forum, please call my office at 914-941-1111.

Hope to see you on November 12th.

Sincerely,

Sandy Galef
Member of the Assembly


Sandy and students from Walter Panas High School choosing healthy foods from school vending machines. Galef bill A.6563-A would ban non-nutritious foods during school hours to curb childhood obesity and related health problems.

Assemblywoman Sandy Galef Invites All To A

Public Education Forum:

Impact Of
New York City
Court Case On
Our Local Schools

Learn The Issues!
Question The Speakers!

Wednesday, November 12
7:30 p.m.
Cortlandt Town Hall
1 Heady St., Cortlandt Manor

See below
for more details.

Assemblywoman Sandy Galef
Invites All To A

Public Education Forum:

Impact Of New York City Court Case On Our Local Schools

More Taxes, Less Money For Our Local Schools?
or
Better Education, Equal Funding For All Schools?

Wednesday, November 12
7:30 p.m.
Cortlandt Town Hall
1 Heady St., Cortlandt Manor

Education Forum Speakers
The forum speakers come with different perspectives, varying points of view, which will make for an exciting, thought-provoking event on November 12th.

Michael Rebell
Executive Director of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, CFE, which brought the court case against the state and won. CFE is calling for a special commission to be formed to work on how to implement the court’s ruling. They recommend that we look at how other states have done this. CFE believes that their win has statewide ramifications that will change the state funding formula for all districts so that it becomes more transparent and addresses the types of resources needed.

Timothy Kremer
Executive Director of the New York State School Board Association, NYSSBA. NYSSBA wants the solution to be statewide and does not want it made by the usual three men in a room (the Governor, the Assembly Speaker, and the Senate Majority Leader). Kremer says the state formula must be redesigned for equity and flexibility on the local level, with a leveling up for all and not a Robin Hood outcome where wealthier districts lose dollars to poorer ones.

Chuck Szuberla
Coordinator of School Operations and Management for the State Education Department who oversees the state school aid work group. The Education Department reports annually on what’s happening in New York State schools and what needs to change. In reviewing the court decision, the Department said that its recommendations to the Regents address the concerns of the court and should be implemented quickly to meet the needs of kids in New York City and the state.

David Shaffer
President of the Public Policy Institute of the Business Council of New York State. He is concerned about pouring money into the system without getting results back. He cites as an example the District of Columbia which, according to the Wall Street Journal, spends on average $15,000 per pupil with a worse student performance than New York State, which spends on average $11,000 per pupil. Shaffer believes that results won’t occur unless systemic problems are fixed.

Sol Stern
Fellow of the Manhattan Institute For Policy Research in New York City. Stern states that the process of financing education will become a very involved political one with the unions, New York City educators, and the establishment all pushing for as much money as possible to “fix” the schools. He says the answer is to increase productivity, hold people in the system accountable for performance, and bring in new ideas to change the whole teacher licensing process.

For Directions:
Call Assemblywoman Sandy Galef at
914-941-1111

Court of Appeals Decision on
New York City Schools

This summer the State’s highest court ruled in a case brought against New York State by a New York City based organization called the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE). The Court said that the state’s method of school funding in New York City does not provide the sound, basic education required by the state Constitution. Such an education should afford New York City school children the opportunity for a meaningful high school education, which prepares them to function productively as civic participants (such as serving on a jury and getting a job).

The Court said that the state’s method of school funding in New York City does not provide the sound, basic education required by the state Constitution.

The Court said there is a real system failure in New York City schools because tens of thousands of students are in overcrowded classrooms, taught by unqualified teachers, given inadequate facilities and equipment. The Court went on to say that per-pupil expenditures were lower in the City than in ľ of the State’s districts, and that both the State and the City contributed lower than average contributions to the New York City schools.

The Legislature and the Governor have until July 30, 2004 to come up with a solution.

What’s Next After Court Decision?

A costing out study is now underway that aims to find the hard costs of educating every student in the state, not just New York City as required by the courts. The “Council on Costing Out” comprises forty organizations, including the League of Women Voters of New York State. League Executive Director Robert Marchiony says there are rounds of public meetings being held to learn what programs and resources are needed per district to provide a sound, basic education for all of New York’s school children. The results will go to economists to cost out and the report will be given to the Governor and the state Legislature in January.

Latest Available Statistics
on our Public Schools

County

District

$ Per Pupil*

NYS Revenue Sharing**

Combined Wealth Ratio***

NYC

$11,474

48%

0.935

Westchester	Briarcliff	$15,976	17%	2.470
	Croton	$15,583	22%	2.048
	Hen Hud	$14,680	15%	2.065
	Lakeland	$12,615	42%	1.119
	Ossining	$14,533	28%	1.822
	Peekskill	$14,663	62%	0.833

Putnam	Carmel	$12,967	35%	1.205
	Garrison	$16,259	13%	2.636
	Haldane	$13,072	22%	1.496
	Putnam Valley	$15,193	33%	1.144

Statistics are from the State Education Department June 2002 Report to the Governor and Legislature. They represent 2000-2001 school year numbers. NY spends an average of $11,871 per pupil.

* Total expenditures, including those charged to General Debt Service and Special Aid Funds.

** Percentage of total district funding provided by the state.

*** The Combined Wealth Ratio compares district wealth to the state average wealth, which is defined as 1.0.

Constituent Survey Results

Your answers to questions in my March 2003 newsletter.

Should supermarkets sell wine?

Yes……68%
No……32%

Should liquor stores be open on Sundays?

Yes……62%
No……38%

Should Rockefeller Drug Laws be repealed to allow judges to send non-violent offenders to drug treatment program as an alternative to prison?

Yes……87%
No……13%

Questionnaire

Please give me your views on these issues.
There is space for two people to answer.

**Click Here for a Printable View**

1. Should the state take over the entire cost of education and not use local property taxes, even if it means higher state income taxes?

Respondent 1

Yes

Respondent 2

Yes

2. If the state were to take over more funding of our schools, would you give up some local control of financial decision making?

Respondent 1

Yes

Respondent 2

Yes

3. Should we increase the state budget to give more money to NYC schools to satisfy the Campaign for Fiscal Equity court ruling?

Respondent 1

Yes

Respondent 2

Yes

4. Please comment on your answers, concerns, ideas to improve our schools:


Respondent 1		Respondent 2

Fill in name and address. Cut and fold this ENTIRE page, keeping the mail panel below facing out. Stamp and Mail back to me.

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