After passing a budget last year that exceeded the tax levy cap and passed with over 60 percent of the vote needed, the 2013-14 Rocky Point School District budget proposed by Superintendent Michael Ring would not pierce the cap.
At Monday's budget hearing at Rocky Point High School, Ring proposed a $74,261,582 budget, which would be an increase of 3.75 percent over last year's. It includes a projected levy increase of 3.56 percent, which is at the cap for the district.
"We're in a much better position than other districts are, and even in a better position than we were," Ring said. "Last year when we needed to pierce the cap, not only was our cap threshold very low, but also that was when we were facing a loss of $700,000 of the last piece of federal jobs money.
"When we pierced the cap we did it for roughly $700,000...now that that cost is back in the general fund we're able to balance the budget. Now our threshold is higher, but every dollar of that is going to the pension plan."
During the meeting, there were no public responses or questions about the budget. The Rocky Point Teacher's Association, however, did address a letter sent to district members by the board which they found offensive.
Editor's Note: The letter is attached as a PDF document above.
"The content of the letter is insulting, counterproductive and destructive to the spirit and cooperation that must exist between all members of the Rocky Point School District," said RPTA president Michael Friscia.
Friscia said that the RPTA will be sending the board a letter that expresses their concerns and includes an invitation to meet and discuss things. Ring and the board defended the letter and have posted it on the district website.
"It is to understand where Rocky Point is in the context of other districts and in the context of the macroeconomic environment, which includes things like the tax cap and a recession," Ring said. "It's saying, 'let's coming together and work towards solutions that are realistic in the current environment.'"
"Despite your ongoing hard work and the support of the community, it is unrealistic to think that we can dodge the troubling economic conditions faced by all public schools. It is inevitable that we will all leave some of our past practices behind in the quest to survive." Since they are unaware that many of us in the community don’t have the salaries and benefits that they do, of course they object. Keeping the status quo means they'll keep getting while we keep paying. Or maybe it was the statement that whereas: "… average salaries to instructional and non-instructional staff have increased by more than 3% each year, which is substantially greater than the rate of inflation, … many others in our community and across the nation have experienced either catastrophic job loss or adjustment, along with negative wage growth, over the past several years." Again, for them the status quo is better. They don't want to hear that what they want is not about the kids--that: "The cost of running a school district is largely centered on its staff, and . . . roughly three-quarters of all expenditures are typically designated for salaries and benefits to support the direct instructional program." And they wonder why they get a bad name!
the MPTA. In good times everyone benefits, in bad times I think its only fair that we all sacrifice(including MPTA members.
I became aware of a local resident who found herself without heat on the Friday before frigid weather was expected. I became involved because a local agency was looking for someone to take her to Riverhead to secure emergency heating for the upcoming weekend. I volunteered to take her. She was a widow and a senior citizen, and her granddaughter was living with her (a student then in the Rocky Point school). An electric heater was being used to heat the living room and from the bedding I saw there it was clear that's where the two were sleeping. When the interviewer at Social Services asked her why she hadn't used her social security to pay for the heat, this woman, who was mortified and embarassed to find herself in this situation, replied that she had to make a decision between paying her property taxes and getting heat--and she chose to pay her taxes. In these hard economic times I doubt that this situation is unique. Respite from the undue burden of ever-increasing property taxes can only come from the school districts.
DECREASE taxes..and give the tax payers something to rave about!!
http://schools.newsday.com/long-island/districts/rocky-point/ We are so quick to blame teachers but with out them there is no school. Ask yourself this... Why have some administrative positions increased salary at many times the cost of living? Why do they continue to get these raises? Why does the BOE allow this to keep happening? Keep in mind that the BOE has the final responsibility to keep costs in check so ultimately the BOE is responsible for these huge salary increases.
So, let's give some credit to this District for finally looking to do something about keeping increases down. The option--piercing the cap-- is unacceptable!
Break the 180 club!