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Dangerous plans could mean more caps on budgets Feb. 16, 2006 Many more school districts could be operating on contingency budgets in the coming year under two plans being pushed by Gov. Pataki and the state Senate majority. The first proposal would limit school district taxpayers to one vote on a school budget. Currently, if a budget is defeated on statewide voting day (the third Tuesday in May), the district can resubmit a budget to voters the third Tuesday in June. An analysis by NYSUT's Research and Educational Services department found that in 2005, voters in 72 school districts approved budgets on the second vote. Had these districts not been allowed a second vote, all would have been forced to adopt contingency budgets. That would have limited spending increases to 3.24 percent over the previous year and increased the number of districts on contingency budgets from 40 to 112. Bounty for 'no' votes In addition to denying school districts the opportunity for a budget revote, the governor has proposed a new STAR-Plus program that would reward homeowners with a $400 rebate check if they live in a school district that voluntarily adheres to the contingency budget cap. "This is like offering residents a $400 bonus for voting 'no' on their school budget," said NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi. "Or, even worse, it could lead school boards to adopt austere budget proposals with damaging cuts and layoffs — just to stay under the specified spending cap or make it more likely voters will approve it in a single vote." In the coming school year, districts on a contingency budget will have their spending increase capped at 4 percent over the current year's budget. This year's skyrocketing heating costs alone will make it difficult to keep spending increases below that figure, Iannuzzi said. Forty districts are operating under contingency budgets this year, nearly twice as many as the year before. The governor and Senate are also asking that votes on borrowing money for school projects be held only on the same day as the statewide day for school budget votes. This could unnecessarily delay projects for districts that don't have borrowing estimates ready for the May voting day. — Sylvia Saunders |
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