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Leveling the Playing Field for Local School Districts

There was a glimmer of good news for schools and taxpayers recently when Assemblyman Dennis Gabryszak (D-Cheektowaga) announced the reallocation of almost $200 million from competitive grant money into the general school aid fund. This reallocation provides several area school districts with an additional $5.3 million in state aid:

$271,727 for Cheektowaga Central Schools
$516,137 for Maryvale Schools
$551,571 for Cheektowaga-Sloan Schools
$718,274 for Depew Schools
$585,215 for Cleveland Hill Schools
$2,656,760 for Lancaster Schools*

*Lancaster’s amount is significantly higher because it corrects an earlier flaw which resulted in insufficient transportation aid.

Speaking at JFK High School, where he was accompanied by Cheektowaga-Sloan Superintendent James Mazgajewski, Mr. Gabryszak also discussed legislation he is introducing (A.9486) that would include re-calculation of the wealth index used to determine school aid. The current formula disproportionately directs more aid to wealthier school districts, typically downstate, which results in residents of less wealthy districts, such as those in Erie County, left to with higher local property tax rates to make up the funding difference.

“Cuts in funding are leaving our school districts to operate on a bare minimum of resources and our students need to be able to compete with other schools in the area, as well as statewide,” Assemblyman Gabryszak said. “We cannot afford to cut teaching positions or sacrifice important programs. School districts must have the funding they need so our students may succeed.”

In addition, Assemblyman Gabryszak spoke of his efforts toward mandate relief, an area sorely neglected with legislators signed the property tax levy cap into law. While many mandates are well-intentioned, they come without funding behind them, leaving local property taxpayers to pick up the tab for leave time for breast and prostate cancer screenings, as well as paid employee leave and substitute costs for employee disciplinary proceedings that can stretch to well over a year or longer.

Posted on Monday, 16 April 2012 18:11

 

With Tax Levy Cap Ahead:

Where's the (Mandate) Relief?

More than 160 area school board members and school officials turned out at the Protocol Restaurant on Feb. 11 to hear members of the WNY Legislative Delegation address concerns about school funding shortfalls, funding inequities between wealthy and non-wealthy districts, and lack of mandate relief.  "After three years of frozen Foundation Aid, last year's mid-year State Aid cut, the expiration of American Recovery & Reinvestment Act  federal funds, and now the end of Education Jobs Funds and the implementation of the local tax levy limit, we have reached a point where we can't cut our way to a solution," said Jean Ranney, ECASB Legislative Team Leader. "We are only cutting our districts further into decline."

Read more: With Tax Levy Cap Ahead:

Posted on Wednesday, 15 February 2012 13:03