The Senior View on School Budgets, Taxes

Senior citizens and older folks who no longer have children in the school system are tasked with paying school taxes just like every one else.

While some are not in favor of spending for the education of the next generation, others like Sal Nicosia, 83, are firm believers in supporting the schools.

A former teacher in the Patchogue school system and district resident for 55 years, Nicosia hasn’t had a child in school since 1973.

“The children that we graduate become part of our community,” he said, “and the better trained they are, the better they serve the community. Sacrifices are part of life. We’ve gotten used to our comfort level and we sometimes don’t realize sacrifices can be beneficial.”

Nicosia traveled with Sachem teachers and administrators to to rally against massive cuts to the district’s state aid for the 2011-12 school year. He argued with politicians, voiced his opinion to chiefs of staff and was a vocal leader on his own merit.

“I’m an educator,” he said. “I was happy that I had the opportunity to teach so many kids. I wasn’t going to work for 30 years, collect a pension and move to some place like Florida.”

Nicosia, who said he budgeted properly to manage his taxes at an older age, says that contributing ideas at his age keeps him “esoterically young.”

“The best thing a senior citizen can do is get out of card playing and go to meetings,” he said.

Others like Howard Braff, 58, feel tax increases for schools should be no more than the cost of living increase that people on social security get, which this past year was zero, because the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was near zero. 

“That's what the schools should get,” said Braff. “If next year the cost of living goes up five percent then they should get no more than five percent. If it's good enough for the people on a fixed income it should be good enough for them. They should never get more than the cost of living increase, which they've been getting for many, many years, and no one can afford it anymore.”

Check Sachem Patch over the next couple of weeks for more stories about the school budget and community.