New Governor, Tax Caps Could Affect Sachem

With Gov.-elect Andrew Cuomo's impending task of balancing a state budget comes the potential impact his administration will have on local school districts.

A proposed tax cap at the state level would affect the Sachem Central School District's 2011-12 budget, administrators said.

Bruce Singer, Sachem's Assistant Superintendent for Business, said he and his staff would incorporate Cuomo's state aid proposals into the budget when available. Next year's state aid information will be released in January and discussed with the Board of Education in February and March as they go over school budget totals.

Even with the change in Albany, Sachem Superintendent James Nolan said no one political figure has the autonomy to change everything on his or her own.

"My only hope is that if changes are to come, students and children will always be the highest priority," he said.

Since it's unclear about how much state aid Sachem will receive for 2011-12, the district softened the blow by offering retirement incentives to its instructional staff last year, which will lower salaries in next year's budget.

That, plus "New York State recently allowed some pension costs to be amortized, which can be paid over several years," Singer said. "We will review the pension options during the next few weeks and make a recommendation to the Board of Education."

Sachem also has a legislative committee that will be reaching out to local state legislative leaders to express their concerns about future cuts and tax caps.

"It would also be a unique idea to invite folks from the trenches to be a part of the thought process," Nolan proposed. "The frustrations that folks have experienced in the recent past have not only come from decisions made from afar, but more from the lack of consideration to the local districts when our opinions have not mattered, time for implementation has not been provided and the financial burden has always fallen upon the district and its taxpayers."

Among the financial plans Cuomo has begun to outline are to cap state spending, eliminating mandates and freezing public worker salaries. With a $9 billion deficit waiting on his desk, he'll be busy. Education is one piece of the pie, and New York spends more on schooling than any other state in America.

"In the past, we have experienced unfunded mandate after unfunded mandate," Nolan said. "The early comments have suggested that education will take the hit to help relieve the financial situation of the state. I am confident that Sachem will continue to adjust to change in a proactive, effective and responsible manner. We will do our best to provide the best educational opportunity for our students while always remaining sensitive to our taxpayers. The state has not been making this an easy task."