TEACHERS>>>>DID YOUR BUDGET PASS???

Yes...thank goodness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes!

YES!!!!

ours didn't I am waiting to hear about getting a position for next year so I don't know how this will be affected now

nope and I'm only a leave replacement

I'm sorry for all the teachers that are affected, but it's pretty sad that the school boards don't seem to cut in their own areas, and take it out on the children, but cutting teachers and programs.

Our district, Connetquot, did not pass, by a large margin, and I'm glad. We've lived here just over 2 years, and have see our taxes rise by $2000 - this would have added another $500 and the contingency budget that will go into effect will still add a portion of that. At the rate of $500 every 6 months, we'd be paying over $30,000 in taxes in about 20 years A great majority on LI are being taxed out of the region. If you're not yet paying a mortgage, think about this - $7000 in annual taxes (pretty typical) is almost $600 a month on your mortgage!!!

The Connetquot budget included $29,000 for school board meetings and $65,000 for Public Relations!!! The expansion on the high school was poorly mis-managed, with things having to be re-done at additional expense. DH was just saying a co-worker was telling him that in his district there used to be 1 principal per school, now there is 1 principal per GRADE! Sounds excessive to me!

So when people vote against the budgets please don't think they are voting against the teachers, the children, or our future. They are voting FOR fiscal responsibility and some control over their own money.

Nope I don't think it will either when and if we have a revote. It's very scary. It was a gloomy day today at work. The frustrating part is that no matter what the taxes will be going up throughout the community. If the budget passed they'd go up around 48 dollars a month. Now that the budget didn't pass they'll only go up around 42 dollars a month. For 6 dollars children will have to suffer. It is a shame. Very frustating.

The children are not suffering because the overburdened taxpayers won't ante up another $6 a month, it's because they are tired of the school board treating them like their bank account is an open wallet.

Sorry, but believe it or not I want some say in how my money is spent, and I don't want it spent padding the wallets of excessive administration and poor management.

You should blame the school board for not managing the millions they do have to spend, and for perpetuating the falacy that the children have to suffer - maybe they should suffer for once and not take it out on the children.

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Posted by Karen H

The children are not suffering because the overburdened taxpayers won't ante up another $6 a month, it's because they are tired of the school board treating them like their bank account is an open wallet.

Sorry, but believe it or not I want some say in how my money is spent, and I don't want it spent padding the wallets of excessive administration and poor management.

You should blame the school board for not managing the millions they do have to spend, and for perpetuating the falacy that the children have to suffer - maybe they should suffer for once and not take it out on the children.

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Karen, I agree with a lot of what you said in your other post. I know in my district there is a lot of waste-- example the business director gave himself a 17.5%raise in the budget over $47k or the fact that we have 3 supers, a director of curric., buisness manager and a public relations manager-- too many IMO. However, there has also been a lot more that the districts are required to put into their budgets this year, things that the state used to cover and no longer will. I know that if our district didnt' pass their budget and it didn't pass the second time and we had to go one with only the 2.76 increase allowed by the state when the budget didn't pass, that wouldn't even cover all the new things that the state now requires them to pay. Besides sports, clubs and after school activites, busses would be cut, teachers (sadly no administrators) TA's, books, furniture (which in my building is older than I am and falling apart!!!) and other things like that. Class size in my district would go from 28 up to around 35!! With all of that than the children will suffer.

I completely agree that the taxes are WAY OUT OF CONTROL. But it is not totally the fault of the local districts, blame the state and the No Child Left Behind Act and all of it's requirements.

I'm not a teacher, but my budget didn't pass and I know a lot of people voted (the line of cars was about a mile long). The budgets are out of control and it's not that we don't want to provide for the children, but it's all the excess (and I'm not talking about the mandatory expenses). When we first got the STAR exemption, our district actually used that as point for why we should pass the very high increase. They said we are saving that amount so we should put it toward the schools. Are you serious? Our taxes were too high and that savings had to go in my pocket. My taxes are higher now than before I got my STAR because of the continuous high increases in the school budget and library budget.

I went to catholic school, so my parents had to pay their school taxes and tuition. The cost for a child to attend catholic school is about half that of a public school child, and yet they get a better education. If the catholic schools can do it (with less assistance from the state or anyone else) why can't the public schools?????

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Posted by LIJuneBride

I went to catholic school, so my parents had to pay their school taxes and tuition. The cost for a child to attend catholic school is about half that of a public school child, and yet they get a better education. If the catholic schools can do it (with less assistance from the state or anyone else) why can't the public schools?????

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I don't agree with you here. I know that the children that I have gotten in the past from Catholic school are lacking in Science, Math and Foreign Language. To answer your other question, most students have to take a test to get into Catholic Schools, high school at the very least and our students don't we have to educate EVERY CHILD. Special needs, discipline, gifted and what not all of that costs money. For example, there is a student in my class he is classified, he cannot take notes on his own, he must have use of a computer, he must have a TA with him at all times, he must be given extended time on all quizzes and tests, he is in resource room also, he also must have someone read all of his tests and quizzes. This is for just ONE child and all of that COSTS A LOT OF MONEY! Yes, some will be given back by the state but not enough to cover the TA's salary!

I still maintain that the problem is with the administrations and the amount of them then the teachers or the education itself.

I know that I give 1000% to my students, working with them after school, on my free periods and lunch period if the need be. I don't take days off (other than my miscarriage) because I don't want my students to lose a day of education! They will even tell you that they something was really really seriously wrong because I was out three days and that NEVER happens, even former students were concerned! I love my students dearly. They are my babies and I will work my tush off for them day in and day out!


You talk about costs:

For my classroom I am given:

One chair for me (it has a date carved in from before I was born. I have since BOUGHT MY OWN chair because I was ripping my clothes daily on the wood)
One computer chair (this had to be done because someone ordered all of our computer desks to be put at elementary height even though this is a secondary school. So we had to get really low chairs)
29 students desks for my 28 students (I might add these desks are also older than me and collapsing from stress fatigue)
2 rows of staples
2 boxes of chalk
1 book per child no extras (If they lose it tough-- we also didn't have textbooks for the first 5 years I was here)
1 stapler
1 roll of tape no dispenser (if you want one buy it)
1 hallway pass
1 plan book
1 grade book
1 computer, printer and TV

That is it everything else, the decorations (Which we must do), supplimentary materials, extra pens and penicls for my students, hole puncher, FANS (since we do not have air conditioning), colored chalk, tape dispenser, extra paper, markers, treats for the kids, etc we MUST PAY for if we want it .

But yet as I said our Business Administrator gave himself a 17.5% raise more than $40k, a new teachers salary! I have never seen more that a 3% raise in the 8 years I have been here, that was the highest, it is normally around 2%

Yesterday we had an assembly that the PTA wanted. At this time of the year when we are trying to finish curriculums and prepare for finals. This assembly cost a minimum of $1000 and it was worthless it was some group playing do-op music. The kids we like

Who's fault is this the administration and the school board! People need to really research their candidates before they vote and go to school board meetings and make their voices KNOWN.

Ok rambling frustration over, I have to go teach. Sorry just needed to let it out.

Well said Swags. I wanted to quote so many parts of your posts but decided they speak for themselves.



If I may also add, if people have such concern over what the school board is doing with the taxes (which are undoubedly extremely high) then they should become active members within the school community. School board meetings are open to the public every month. Also, the impact of chages from state and federal funding & grants as well as the impact of No Child Left Behind is bigger than most think.

Also, please remember the level of quality public education children are receiving on LI compared to other parts of the country. Every year the list comes out ranking public school districts nationally and LI is heavily represented on the top 100.

Lastly, I don't doubt that students can get a good education at private/catholic schools. However, I would not go so far as to say it is always better (I agree with much of what Swags said). Public school teachers are required to have certification(s) and catholic/private school teacher typically are not. Any teacher will tell you that the requirements for teaching certification are rigorous.

just to add to all the great points....
but rememeber all this when you

DON'T vote for Pataki again...

he has done the most damage in funding from the state to LI schools!!!!!

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Posted by jessnjoey

DON'T vote for Pataki again...

he has done the most damage in funding from the state to LI schools!!!!!

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agreed!