The Long Island School Tax Dilemna

Since school taxes account for 60% or more of the real estate taxes in Long Island, and that ever-growing burden has been widely recognized, it is deeply disconcerting when Newsday this morning ran an article about how there was a wide disparity between the projected school tax for this year (projected when budgets were voted on) and the actual tax rate recently implemented. School districts like Roslyn, which projected tax increases below 2% are now actually imposing taxes greater than 4.5%. Across Long Island, the actual tax being imposed is substantially greater than the projections.
Several reasons have been cited, including: commercial tax assessment reduction resulting in a lower than anticipated tax collection; previous residential tax assessment appeals that lowered tax collections, etc. Whether that is the complete reason, or it is also a matter of "political spin," where school budget proponents use a favorable estimate when they are campaigning for the budget; or the overall economic crisis; or lower than anticipated grants received - - it turns out that homeowners end up paying for the miscalculation.
That being said, the real issues are the way our schools are paid for; the efficiencies or lack of efficiencies built into the present system; state and federal unfunded mandates. And though, lots of people complain about the costs, the debate always becomes a polarizing one between parents who say, "The children deserve the best," and stressed-out homeowners, who say, "It costs too much . . . cut . . . cut!" Yet neither side kis fully
examining all options. I truly believe it is NOT a matter of how much it costs to run schools, but how the money is spent! What efficiencies are schools not using that could save substantial monies while not having any adverse educational effect. Because it has never been demonstrated that educational quality is simply a matter of how much money is spent! For example, in New York City, there has been some evidence that the use of privately run Charter Schools create better educations, often at lower costs. Here on Long Island, for example, schools use varying class period lengths, ranging from 40 minutes to one hour. Most educational studies have indicated that the shorter periods create more effective learning because of attention spans. In addition, because of the way many teacher contracts are structured, the one-hour length creates an inability to get as many classroom hours per teacher, thus requiring hiring more teachers. Some high schools on Long Island use the One Principal/ One Asst Principal plus deans model, while others use the Principal, Asst Principal for every grade model, which obviously is a costlier model. Yet each model has its proponents.
On Long Island, different school districts range in size, yet each hires a Superintendent and staff, so therefore the larger districts enjoy economies of scale, and thus lower costs per students.
Similarly, there are potential savings if districts would use more centralized purchasing. In Nassau County, some school districts utilize BOCES to create better economies, but there are many more savings. For example, joint negotiating for buses, etc., would create savings for most districts.
Homeowners must demand accountability, or they give up their "right to complain." The methodology of voting for school budgets, where defeating a budget creates an automatic contingency budget, which saves little money but mandates how the money is spent, often creates an even worse alternative. We deserve better, and must demand a better, more streamlined, more effective and efficient system, which better educates and prepares our children.
Enough of being told, "We do it this way because that's how we've always done it." It's time to think outside the box!