The Kingston school board budget vote is up for a re vote this Tuesday and it's a pretty good budget. The board listened to the public when they went out a few weeks ago and voted against the budget. The new budget has an increase of just 1.76% and contains over a million dollars in new cuts.
The board made some tough decisions in the Proposed Budget including:
Eliminating an 80k administrative position.
Eliminating three teaching positions through attrition.
Eliminating two proposed teachers from the elementary Foreign Language program
Eliminating two proposed Gifted and Talented teachers.
Reducing one business teacher position by 40 %
Eliminating 160k in special education costs.
If the budget fails, an additional $869,949 will have to be cut and all building maintenance will be eliminated as required by state law.
This is a good budget and worthy of voters support, I encourage all to come out and Vote Yes this Tuesday.
The above Vote Yes lawn signs are available...please send me an e-mail with your address if you would like one for your property.
13 comments:
I want a tax decrease. It's time we go against Bush, and start leaving some of the children behind. Some people are destined to work at Gateway, and that's that!
We are paying far too much for so little return in education. Let's spend less, and focus our resources on those who can and want to learn.
To hell with the rest.
Harry the Conservative
I am voting no on the budget.
i vote no
That must have been a very tough decision to cut an 80k administrative position. Who makes 80k in Ulster County?? Not anyone in the private sector. Only if you work for the government or the schools can you make that kind of money in Ulster County. How about those 3 positions by attrition.... I guess they didn't think about that the first time around. Better to see if we can have more jobs, more jobs, more jobs for school employees.... it's for the kids you know. That 80k ADMINISTRATIVE position is for the kids you know.. and you HAVE know that it's 80k + benefits. We'd almost be better off just becoming a socialist county. That way at least everyone would make some money. Now the only people doing "well" are the County Workers and School employees.
No one makes over 80k in the private sector in Ulster County? What are you kidding me....that is an absurd comment.
School Districts are out of control.
It's time we go back to the one room school houses and return to a bible-based PUBLIC education.
Rev. Wallace Butterworth
Vote No - this is a disgrace
1:03.... AMEN!!!!!!!!
2:37... Harry the Conservative,
I could not have said it better myself. Thank you for saying what so many people are thinking.
The NYS Senate just passed a property tax reform plan. Now it will go to the Assembly. Kevin Cahill is for property tax reform. This would be a great opportunity for Kevin Cahill to get this passed in the Assembly. It could help him to get re-elected. Let's all support Kevin in gettin the property tax reform bill passed in the Assembly.
to 1206
Take a good look at the alleged "solution" passed by the Senate. It is the perfect example of the attitude of the legislature that has led us to this point.
It is unconstituional to allow individual districts and/or communities to opt out of a State system that funds a fundamental right under our constitution. Can't be done.
The court of appeals has addressed this. This type of bill increases inequities between districts and increases the confusion and incomprehensive funding laws. It is a law that our senators know has no legs. It gives them a sound bite benefit and no real accountability.
Basically, the Senate law is useless and the sponsors know this full well. Cahill has debted this issue with the Senate sponsors over and over. He knows, they know and education officials know that this is a ruse to protect the legislature from having to pass real reform.
Individual communities opting out cannot be done, cannot be funded and it cannot sustain constitutional challenge.
But the Senators are thrilled because they can say, look we tried.
The fact of the matter is that Sheldon Silver has had a lifetime in the Assembly to do something about property taxes. He's been pretty clear, he's not even interested in trying.
At least the Senate is interested in trying. It's the Assembly and Sheldon Silver that are the problem.
I'm a Republican, and I have a lot of Democratic friends. NOT ONE of them will defend Sheldon Silver. I don't understand why there is not more of a bi-partisan effort to get rid of him.
Democrats and Republicans in the Hudson Valley want property tax relief now. Right now Silver is the only one who DOESN'T.
Why should Silver care about property tax reform? It is not his problem and not the problem of the people who vote him into office.
Silver represents New York City where property taxes are not used to fund education. He represents his constituents who really don't care about property tax reform or the needs of upstate New York. It really is that simple.
Don't blame Silver for doing his job. It is the responsibility of the rest of the State representatives to stand up and gather the votes assuming they will get no help from Silver.
Passing useless legislation like the current Senate bill serves no one's purpose except the legislators who benefit from the status quo.
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