Fellow School Supporters:
Your tremendous show of support last night with at least 120 parents in attendance and over two dozen of you speaking was incredibly encouraging. It's comforting to be a part of a community that so clearly values the preservation of it's eduactional standards.
With a tax increase of 9% required to maintain all teaching, aid positions and programs. It seems that the majority of you in attendance support the concept of a tax increase in the interest of maintaining our schools educational standards. In real world terms, a resident currently paying property taxes averaging $12,000 per year would incur additonal expense per the following table:
% TAX INCREASE /ADDITIONAL TAXPAYER COST
3.......................................$360.00
4.......................................$480.00
5.......................................$600.00
6.......................................$720.00
7.......................................$840.00
8.......................................$960.00
9.......................................$1080.00
A partial offset to the budget deficit would be to have teachers and aides accept a salary freeze for the upcoming year. Despite the fact that Dr. Khoury seems not to be giving this alternative any real consideration, the potential savings it represents are considerable.
In closing and response to the suggestion that Ardsley property tax values should mirror those of surrounding communities; do we really wish to do this by compromising the superiority of a school system that both benefits our children and ultimately suppports our home values?
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It is ridiculous and absurd for you to to state "A partial offset to the budget deficit would be to have teachers and aides accept a salary freeze for the upcoming year. Despite the fact that Dr. Khoury seems not to be giving this alternative any real consideration, the potential savings it represents are considerable." Of course Dr. Khoury is giving this consideration but he cannot FORCE the teachers to do it. Obviously if he could he would. The administration has accepted pay freezes. I'm so tired of this attitude that the only way you can show your parental concern is to pay up and shut up. Let's see the teachers, do something for thier colleagues whose jobs are in danger and for US the community who pays their salaries. Those of us who work in the real world where pay freezes are everyone's reality know that the teachers should consider themeselves lucky to have a job on which to accept a pay freeze.
ReplyDeleteAnd as far as your assertion that these ballooning property taxes "supports" our home values I say the opposite is becoming true. The taxes here in Ardsley are getting to a point where good schools or not people will not be willing to buy here. People dont' want to pay $20,000 property taxes for a tiny house.
Finally we all love our children and want the best for them. But the attitude in this town that the only way to show that is simply to accept endless tax increases is offensive. Dr. Khoury is right. Just because we dont' stand up at these meetings and carry on, you can be sure that there are plenty of people in this town, people with children in the schools, who will vote NO to any budget increase over 3 or 4% especially if the teachers prove unwilling to compromise.
I think that the suggestion of "concerned parent" was that working as a team the teachers and the community could find a mutual solution that would save the teacher's jobs, benefit the children by keeping class size and support within the classroom at a tenable level, and retain the high standards associated with the Ardsley Schools.
ReplyDeleteTo imply that teachers don't function in the "real world" is a bit short-sided and devalues their role and importance. Everyone is aware of the difficult times in which were are all trying to survive. Does this mean that it needs to trickle down to our children? They thrive in the public/private school atmosphere in their classrooms. Needs are being met and is evident by student success.
You are quick to find fault, but where are your insights about positive solutions? There needs to be BALANCE.
Perhaps the poster who feels that teachers are the root cause of high property taxes in Ardsley should consider sellling their tiny, disproportionally taxed home and move to a community which they believe represents a better value.
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