Participation in Government makes it necessary to be aware and informed of local issues that may impact your community. It has been said that local govt. has more of a direct impact on citizens than any other level of government.
Your task is to research the proposed Schodack Central Schools 2010 Budget and the proposed work furlough for NY State Workers and comment on how both the local and NY State issues impact you or your family. Why is it important and what measures can be taken to deal with these pressing issues?
Although we are seniors at maple hill the budget may still have an impact on us. Personaly i have no younger siblings who are still in the district but i did live my entire life here as a kid. I know for a fact that i will be back and i will see what has happened with our district. If they happen to cut sports teams or teachers the district will be hurt. I have grown up in this this strong community knowing that i can depend on our school district to get me the acedemics and sports that i need. Without the gaurentee of our sports and teachers staying in the district we cant know if the school will continue to be successfull.
ReplyDeleteThe purposed work forlough for the new york state workers would have a huge impact on our state. Many families who work for the state make a decent amount of money and taking one day off would take out a huge chuck of there salary. The problem is that families base there expenses on what they make and if a whole day every week is taken off without pay, that is 20% of there total pay. My dad works for the state and if he is cut of one day a week then he may have to sell his car or even possibly move into a smaller house. In general this will save the state a huge amount of money but will impact the people who are working tremendously.
The proposed state worker furloughs and budget cuts will negatively impact the local government and economy. The school budget is set to reduce spending yet raise taxes by 2.9%. This tax increase would negatively impact my family by raising taxes. This tax increase could be overwelming for some families who already have maxed out budgets. The reduction is school spending is neccesary do to reduced enrollment and further cuts should be mad as enrollment drops. The proposed cuts are not supposed to effect students educationhal oppurtunities and simply eliminate unneeded staff.State worker furloughs are anothyer proposed cut. This reduction forces state workers to take off one unpaid day per week. This day off would result in a 20% reduction in salary. This salary cut would negatively impact state workers and their families. Personally neither of my parents work for the state so their salaries wouldnt be affected, however we have family friends who work for the state who would have top suffer with the decrease in salary. When already facing a tight budget such a large decrease could cause families to have to give up things they enjoy or need. For example a state worker currently making $100,000 a year would only be paid $80,000 a year state wokers are forced to take furloughs . This would greatly impact state workers and there families.
ReplyDeleteAlthough we are seniors at maple hill the budget may still have an impact on us. Personaly i have no younger siblings who are still in the district but i did live my entire life here as a kid. I know for a fact that i will be back and i will see what has happened with our district. If they happen to cut sports teams or teachers the district will be hurt. I have grown up in this this strong community knowing that i can depend on our school district to get me the acedemics and sports that i need. Without the gaurentee of our sports and teachers staying in the district we cant know if the school will continue to be successfull.
ReplyDeleteThe purposed work forlough for the new york state workers would have a huge impact on our state. Many families who work for the state make a decent amount of money and taking one day off would take out a huge chuck of there salary. The problem is that families base there expenses on what they make and if a whole day every week is taken off without pay, that is 20% of there total pay. My dad works for the state and if he is cut of one day a week then he may have to sell his car or even possibly move into a smaller house. In general this will save the state a huge amount of money but will impact the people who are working tremendously.
In the coming years, there is going to be major changes in how things will work in the ecomony for state workers as well as the faculty and staff that work at Schodack Central Schools.
ReplyDeletePeople cannot afford to take a furlough in this economy yet they don't have a choice. Some people are being forced to take a day off like it or not and take the the pay cut because the state does not have enough money to have these buisinesses working every day. If someone works 5 days a week and is being forced to take a day off, they are loosing 20% of their paycheck and people can't afford to take this paycut in this economy. As for the the Schodack budget, there is not going to be as much money to work with for the 2010 - 2011 budget. Some major financial changes will be that the administrators office will not see an increase in payment even though costs are increasing.
For the faculty, 8 teachers are going to be let go in grades K - 8 because there is a decrease in enrollment for the kids. French will be cut in the middle school so only Spanish will be offered in the Middle School. Teacher aids and assisstance will be reduced. As for the staff, the Custodial staff will forsee major changes for next year in their supervision which will be completley reconstructed. And for the Miscellaneous, there will be no remedial reading summer classes, no JV boys and girls tennis teams. Change in employees healthcare insurance, and less resources to work with.
The ecomomy is seeing major changes and it seems things are becoming worse. Everything is being cut back. Some things that might help prevent these causes is if more buisiness comes to schodack but for now, people are going to have to ride out the economy and wait for it to bounce back.
The budget proposed for Schodack Central Schools for the 2010-2011 year contains plenty of cuts on programs, equipment, and suppies. In the following year the equivalent of 10 teacher positions will be eliminated along with other staff positions. In this plan some administration jobs will be combined and some sports teams and programs like BOCES will have reduced funding.
ReplyDeleteThis following year the tax rate will be increased approximately 2.9 percent for the school taxes on residence of the Schodack. If more businesses were opened up in Schodack it would help reduces taxes on the residence. This would also help Schodack Central Schools get through these times of tightening the fiancial belt.
Our school budget is esimated to have a $987,661 cut in state aid. There will also be about a $564,000 loss in tax revenue due to tax claimes. Along with other complications this leaves our school district at a large money loss like many people are forsed to suffer in these hard times. In an attempt to save a large amount of money they plan on cuting 21 positions (1 administrator, 10 teachers, 6 teaching aids, and 4 staff members)as well as the clerical support for administrative and guidance offices and forgoing administrative salary. The 5th grade will be moved down to the C.E.S. and there will be a decrease in the curriculum as well as staff development. There will also be a decrease in the purchases of supplies, equipment, and technology. With all of these changes a school tax increase will still be needed with the estamating of 2.9%. I have a little brother going into forth grade and my only worries would be the availability of supervision and future classes. By talking to a few C.E.S. teachers and hearing the complaints of difficulties watching over the various children with the current room set up worries me with the increase of children and decrease of teachers and aids in the upcoming year. Also with lack of language choice among other classes I fear he and other future students will fail to meet the various class requirements in order to graduate which could ruin their future and the future of our country over all.
ReplyDeleteThe Furlough plan is for state jobs to close one more day out of the week. With most state jobs the weekend is already off time so this would be three days every week that state workers will stay home without pay causeing a dramatic change for monthly home budgets. For example my nanny works for D.M.V. and can't afford to loose any of her income. She is currently the lone supporter of the household in which I live along with my causen and poppy. With my poppy being fired a few years back only a year away from retirement our family has already suffered a great financial loss.
During these hard economic times everyone is left scambleing for ways to save money. However the cuts are made there will be protest but perhaps if every one lost a little then it would go a long way.
The budget proposed for Schodack Central Schools for the 2010-2011 year contains plenty of cuts on programs, equipment, and suppies. In the following year the equivalent of 10 teacher positions will be eliminated along with other staff positions. In this plan some administration jobs will be combined and some sports teams and programs like BOCES will have reduced funding.
ReplyDeleteThis following year the tax rate will be increased approximately 2.9 percent for the school taxes on residence of the Schodack. If more businesses were opened up in Schodack it would help reduces taxes on the residence. This would also help Schodack Central Schools get through these times of tightening the fiancial belt.
The new Schodach Central Schools budget calls for many cuts. The new budget plans too cut over 800 thousand dollars in spending money, and cut 10 teachers, six teaching assistants, and four staff members. The loss of this teachers will result in the loss of elective classes. The new budget will also imapct the community not just students. The community is going to recieve a 3% tax increase.
ReplyDeleteA way to solve this tax problem would be more buisness development in schodack. If more buisnesses were present in schodack there would not need to be big buget cuts because these new buisnesses would also pay taxes to the school.
The New York state work furlough plans to decrease the income of state workers by 20%. It plans to shorten the work week to four days instead of five. This would be a problem for state workers and thier families because this loss of imcome.
The Schodack Central Schools budget is being cut by 2 million dollars. The plan on cutting about 1 million dollars in state aid. They also want to eliminated 21 positions. The budget for 2010-2011 is 4.2% or $893,555 lower than 2009-2010. The school taxes are going to be rasied 2.9%. When a science teacher is on a leave of
ReplyDeleteabsence, they will not be replaced.The boys and girls jv tennis team's will be cut but the kids acan try out for varsity teams. A full-time School Bus Driver-CustodialWorker position will
be eliminated and replaced with a part-time School Bus Driver.
If this budget passes, it will have a mojor impact on student and taxs payers. One impact it wll have is that tax payer will have to budget there money more due the 2.9% rase in taxes. Some people who works at the school willl lose their jobs, which means that they need to find new job. They might have to move out of Schodack to find a new job. TYhe student who go to school will not be able to fullfill their education need because of the lack of teachers and classes.
The Furlough on states works will have a great impact on them. Some people think that furloughs could become a reality starting May 17. The furlough will make it so that state workers will have a 4 day work week. The state Legislature says that it will save 30 million dollars a week.
There will be major impacts on state workers if the furlough is passed. One impact is that many people salaries will be decreased. This mean they will have less mney to help stimulate the ecomony. They will also have to change their life style due the money they lose.
In the Schodack Central School District, there are several challenges about the budget and the cuts it produces. Some issues that NYS has brought to the district is $987,661 cut in state aid, due to NYS fiscal crisis, Increasing school operating costs, and Declining enrollment. These finacial issues cause the School District to have 21 positions eliminated, $2 million in cuts to programs and services; core educational programs maintained, and Estimated 2.9 percent increase in school tax rate.These are big issues that could impact the district in the years to come.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion on this issues is that they should probably cut some of the more of the unpopular classes, or sports. The large cuts will lead to a bigger tax bill for the residents of the local area. Unfortunatley, some of the teaching positions will be eliminated beause of the 2 million cut. I feel that this is a major issue for the local area because as more establishments arise, the higher the taxes for the residents, and the more expensive it is to send children to this district.
In NYS, Governer Paterson wants to set up the furlough bill in order to have state workers to take one day off a week in order to save some more for the state. Many workers are against the passing of this bill becacuse it would cut 20% of thier pay a week, which could drastically change the yearly income of the worker. As Paterson tries to defend this bill, there are many disbelievers in this bill. I think that this would not be a good idea because it would cut salary for the workers for the money they would need.
The 2010 Schodack Central Schools budget will heavily impact future students and community members.The 2010-2011 Schodack School budget will reduce the school's spendings by almost $900,000. The school also faces a one million dollar reduction in state aid. This makes school officials reduce their spendings so that tax rates in Schodack will not increase. Many of the proposed cuts for the school are cutting staff members, this could be as many as 21 jobs. This affects students because with these cuts in staff members students will not be getting the educational help needed. Class sizes are planned to increase and ten teachers are scheduled to be cut. Cuts are not only scheduled to take place in the area of education but the area of athletics also. As a community that thrives on athletic success and pride this can have a negative effect on many students. JV boys and girls tennis teams will be eliminated as well as modified sports. I think that more business developement in Schodack is necessary to lower tax rates and help the school financially. Good thing we have the new Schodack Diner and Pilot!
ReplyDeleteA different economic problem on a state level is the proposed work furlough by New York State. New York State is proposing a work furlough that would force state workers to take one day off in their work week. This would ultimately reduce their salaries by 20%. The furlough is planned to be forced upon 100,000 state workers. Governor Paterson says that each day of furlough would save New York State thiry million dollars. This furlough can affect families because when planning their own budgets the 20% loss of their income can drastically affect them.
The governor wants to cut 1 day of work per week for around 100,000 state workers. It doesn't sound like much but it is 20% of their pay. It will start May 17 and continue until the budget is passed. It would be about $30 million per week. The work furlough does affect me personally, because my parent do not work for the state, but it affects a lot of other people. The state should find ways to save, but not this way.
ReplyDeleteOn timesunion.com a woman wrote a letter saying another way to save NY money, for the governor and members of the legislature to forego their pay. I agree, there's so much corruption in the government that they should be paying too. SUNY professors will be affected, which is sad because teachers already don't make as much as they should. I also read that the furlough may be illegal because it represents 'breaking a labor contract'. The governor defends it because there is $9.2 billion budget gap. I really think that the legislators should have to have their pay cut.
The local issues really affect myself and my family. My parents talk about the taxes so much, and when I went to a town meeting there was a man who was very angry about them. He said that they were pushing the senior citizens out of the area. There were 2 houses for sale just on one road by me. About a year ago my mother told me to pack my stuff because she seriously thought we were going to lose our house. The taxes affect everything we do.
I also attended a board meeting with about 11 other students. We were concerned about the current art teachers, that were not being laid off, and how busy and stressful their jobs would be. Only a few of us planned on speaking on behalf of the Art department, but after that so many other students did also. Others talked about sports and languages and other parents defended them. We showed the board that these cuts will affect many people and how much we care about what will happen to the school. The board debated until 11:30 at night and decided to add back to the budget .4 of the .67 taken out before. This meant that it is very possible that there will be an Art teacher available for the high school students. I hope that others in the community will support what the students want.
With the state experiencing serious financial matters, school districts are faced with a loss of state aid. The loss of aid has put many districts in a bad situation, Schodack Central Schools included.
ReplyDeleteThe 2010-2011 Schodack Central School's budget has nearly a $900k cut. The budget cut entails 20 positions lost which include an administrator, 10 teachers, six teaching assistants and four staff members. The loss of all of these positions impact the schools educational value. Many electives and optional courses which broaden a student’s education, will be cut.
This budget not only impacts the students but also impacts the community. The already high taxes in Schodack are expected to rise almost 3%. The only possible solution to fix these high tax rates is to encourage more business development which would levy some of the taxes off the community.
Another economic situation that is unraveling is the New York work furlough. The state wants to decrease the average state workers income by 20%. This is a major problem with state workers who have a family and plan their budgets prior. If a family whose income consists of two state workers then their household income will decrease by 40%. Though this will save nearly $30 million each day of furlough, many families will struggle.
Rebecca R. says...
ReplyDeleteBoth the local budget and NY state budget has impacted both my family, and I. The local budget in Schodack will reduce spending by $893,555 and would require an estimated 2.9% increase in the tax rate. Schodack has cut more than $2 million from it's last budget. These cuts include Administration, Faculty and Staff. After graduating as a senior from Maple Hill High School, I feel that the Schodack Budget will be more reasonable. As far as NYS workers, they are tired and fed up with being used. The governor is asking .5% of the population to carry 3% of the burden. This lag for NYS workers is a big risk, it is illegal by the courts, and about 100,000 people across the state in every town and city weill lose $200-$300 a paycheck each time, which will then destory our economy. This plan by Governer Patterson will actually cost the state $30M a day. My Mom is a NYS worker for the Department of Social Health, She feels that this lag isnt beneficial for NYS workers, and her as well. I feel that we will have to what and see the impact of this lag, and as far as the Schodack Budget, I feel that this will be better for our community.
In the 2010 -2011 school year, many changes will be made in the budget of Schodack Central Schools. Atleast 10 teaching positions will be eliminated, as well as an administrative position. Athletics are facing large cuts as well, and both boys and girls JV tennis will be cut. Taxes in the district are going to increase substantially, which will negatively impact the residents of schodack. We feel that the budget cuts will ultimately create feelings of discontent in the community, causing families and people to flee the area for lower taxes and better oopportunities for their children.
ReplyDeleteBudget issues in the community are often related to the condition of the state government and economy. Currently there is a proposed furlough on NYS workers, that may come into effect on May 17th. THis furlough would mean that state workers would take a non paid day off once a week, ultimately resulting in a 20% pay cut. THis cut is bad. Thousands of people and families will lose a large portion of their income. New York State workers are very angry at the idea of a 20% pay cut in these troubling economic times. Many families depend on their income to live and support their families. Ultimately many FAMILIES will STRUGGLE!
Every year, the citizens of Castleton come together to vote on the school budget. Due to the current financial status of the nation, educational facilities have had to make significant cuts in their budgets. Maple Hill High School has been deeply impacted by this turn of events. Twenty-one teachers are being cut from the school district, as well as sports teams, such as JV Tennis, and other materials used in the daily lives of students. Even though so many cuts are being made, the budget is still going to see an increase of almost three percent. This is due to a decrease in state aid, as well as the decreasing number of students enrolled in lower level grades. These cuts are going to affect current teachers who are employed, as well as students who may not receive the same level of education as before.
ReplyDeleteThe state has also had to make many changes. Patterson has recommended a furlough for state workers. This makes it mandatory for state workers to take at least one day off during the work week. This affects state troopers, as well as other people with government jobs. It has been calculated that such furloughs can save the state thirty million dollars a week, which is a significant amount of money that will go towards closing the gap in the budget. This negatively affects state workers because it can take away more than twenty percent of their pay. Although these conditions may seem harsh or unneccesary, they can help in diminishing the deficit in the budget of New York State.
As we are Seniors this year we will not see the immediate effects of the budget cuts but we will still feel the effects.
ReplyDeleteThe steady drop in enrollment is cause for the school to lose federal aid, and in turn many classes, mainly electives, are going to be dropped. We, in the past, have taken classes like CAD and other technology classes, and the budget proposes we cut them from the curriculum. From experience, we know many engineering colleges require high school CAD classes, and this kind of measure definitely will inhibit success of students.
My younger brother will be in high school next year, and he was prepared to actually take that class. My younger sister, who’s in kindergarten right now, and the future of the economy is still unknown, so who knows what kind of situation she’ll be in.
Personally, the budget is proposing to cut funding from the wrong programs. We’re cutting necessary programs, like summer school, while keeping less than important things, like modified sports and high salaries. There is countless staff with little to no use. Jobs need to be merged together, and some need to even be cut.
In our opinions, enrollment is going down due to the outrageous taxes in our area. We’re not surprised that 5 businesses are challenging the tax assessment, and it’s not surprising we’re not going to have cuts restored.
The furloughs are proposed to close a $9 billion budget gap. I don’t see how cutting the amount of money taxpayers make is going to positively affect anything. By cutting employees wage earning hours, they’re cutting the money that’s paid into social security and income taxes. It’s stealing from Peter to pay Paul.
UNSHUN
ReplyDeleteThe proposed budget cuts will directly affect all tax-payers including our parents and eventually us if we decide to stay in this area after college. Even with these cuts taxes will increase by almost 3% and this is an incredible amount. The irony of the furlough situation is that the legislature is spending most of it's time focusing on furloughs for state workers because they're having trouble passing the budget, when the reason they need furloughs is because of the state budget being unable to pass. For locals who work in the state, the school budget increases and the furlough combination is unfair. They will be paid less while being asked to pay more in taxes. Also their children will be offered less oppurtunities. The idea of cutting modified sports, would be much more beneficial than cutting JV tennis because the people who play modified have oppurtunities to play all of the same sports outside of school. There are youth sports clubs that offer cheap options, often with more competition than at the modified level. This would make taxpayers not have to pay for modified for everyone and those who still want to play would have the ability to do so. These youth athletic options all have age limits which are exceeded by the time the student would be at the JV level. The increases in taxes and problems with the state will lead many locals to leaving this area and possibly New York.
SHUN
The proposed budget for this year, has many cuts in the budget through teacher and program cuts and reductions. This allows for a better proposed budget to the community, but takes away from the students. There are many classes that will be cut, like AP Biology. This hurts some Seniors because if they took this class they could potentially be exempt from that expense during college. Also if they are going to be a Biology major they will have a better grasp on the science before going to college. The cut of art programs is good because it cuts costs, but also students who hope to pursue a career in art will have less oppurtunities to pursue their goal. As for the staff cuts and reductions, they could affect community memebers because many staff live in the community or around the community. In addition the 2.9% tax increase could hit the community hard. Many families are already struggling with the current tax percentage.
ReplyDeleteIn regard to the work furlough we think it is unfair. If you want to take a day off you will. People skip work all of the time just like they skip school. No one should be like "oh you cant come to work today." We think that there should be a certain income and if you make more than that you will get a day off without pay and if you make less than that you dont get one day off a week.
ReplyDeleteMr. Frese,
we greatly appologize for our post!! :-( sowwyyy
In the 2010 -2011 school year, many changes will be made in the budget of Schodack Central Schools. Atleast 10 teaching positions will be eliminated, as well as an administrative position. Athletics are facing large cuts as well, and both boys and girls JV tennis will be cut. Taxes in the district are going to increase substantially, which will negatively impact the residents of schodack. We feel that the budget cuts will ultimately create feelings of discontent in the community, causing families and people to flee the area for lower taxes and better oopportunities for their children.
ReplyDeleteBudget issues in the community are often related to the condition of the state government and economy. Currently there is a proposed furlough on NYS workers, that may come into effect on May 17th. THis furlough would mean that state workers would take a non paid day off once a week, ultimately resulting in a 20% pay cut. THis cut is bad. Thousands of people and families will lose a large portion of their income. New York State workers are very angry at the idea of a 20% pay cut in these troubling economic times. Many families depend on their income to live and support their families. Ultimately many FAMILIES will STRUGGLE!
We are both the youngest in our family so the budget doesn't not directly affect either of us. Our families are affected because the cut in state aid will increase the tax rate by about 2.9%, which is about 107 dollars per year. The jv boys and girls tennis cuts are a dissappointment because we both played tennis and it's sad to know that incoming students won't have the same opportunity. The staffing eliminations will have a heavy impact on the future students at Maple Hill because they won't be able to get the help that we received(especially the guidance counselors). The changes to the STAR program made by Governor Patterson will benefit our families because it can help out with school property taxes. The NYS furlough does not affect either of our families because none of our parents are state workers, but we believe a furlough is better than a layoff. With this option we save about 30 million dollars a week and the state workers keep their jobs.
ReplyDeleteThe state furloughs could hurt the state economy as a whole. The cut of the state workers does affect them and their families, but also local businesses. With the 20% decrease in pay check to each state employee the the state will save $30,000,000 a week until the state budget is passed. In this time period the state employees and their families will have to cut back on their own spending. This will make them less inclined to spend money on leisure activities. This could cause a blow to businesses because there are 100,000 state employees that the furlough will affect.
ReplyDeleteThe purposed furlough and the Schodack Central School District budget cuts will have drastic consequences. Over 100,000 state workers will be affected by the furlough, beginning on May 17 and continuing indefinitely. Not only will they be affected personally, their families will suffer as well. Although it will save $30 million every week, it is not nearly enough to close the $9.2 billion dollar deficit our state has amassed. The furlough may only last for a short period, yet the effects will be long term. The workers pension may be decreased since pension is calculated based on yearly income which will be cut because of the furlough. It will also have an impact on college students, as their professors will have less time to grade their final exams. Grades will be released later than usual, aversely impacting future plans.
ReplyDeleteThe school board is proposing a budget cut of nearly $900,000 and a tax increase of 2.9 percent. Such a cut will leave the schools understaffed. There will also be fewer academic options and athletics will also be weakened. The incoming classes will have fewer opportunities than we were offered. Not only will this affect their time here, it could also limit their options when applying for college or jobs. Restructuring classes to accommodate the budget cuts could leave children behind that might require extra attention, or limit students who are more accelerated.
Overall, these cuts will be detrimental to future generations. Unfortunately, little else can be done to deal with these pressing issues.
If passed, the 2010 proposed budget will cut .27 Art, along with several other things.
ReplyDeleteAs advocates of art, the original .67 FTE that was going to be cut concerned us. This would have resulted in the cutting of a teacher position, leaving only two teachers between the three schools. The art department would have suffered tremendously from lack of available attention for the students. We, along with several other art students, attended the April 15th board meeting and emphasized to the board members the importance of the arts to the students. By 11:30 that night, they had decided to put back .4 of the original .67 into the budget. This is an example of how students can effectively speak up about issues that concern them.
If the furlough is passed it could negatively impact our families. This proposition would force state workers to take off a day every week, during which they would not be paid. Having relatives who work for the state, this could considerably worsen their financial states, and would in turn negatively affect us. Also, if after college we choose to get state jobs, it could severely injure our income.
In regard to the school budget, OBVIOUSLYYYYYY we are seniors so it wont impact us directly. We both have younger siblings and we care about their wellbeing academically and athletically. We understand that it is hard for people who dont have kids in school anymore to pass the budget but lets think about the children here people. Although we know that our parents would like to see their taxes decrease, we know the consequences of such things.
ReplyDeleteSAVE THE CHILDRENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN...FROM OBESITY! SAVE OUR SPORTSSSSSS!
CATSSSSSS! :)
The purposed furlough and the Schodack Central School District budget cuts will have drastic consequences. Over 100,000 state workers will be affected by the furlough, beginning on May 17 and continuing indefinitely. Not only will they be affected personally, their families will suffer as well. Although it will save $30 million every week, it is not nearly enough to close the $9.2 billion dollar deficit our state has amassed. The furlough may only last for a short period, yet the effects will be long term. The workers pension may be decreased since pension is calculated based on yearly income which will be cut because of the furlough. It will also have an impact on college students, as their professors will have less time to grade their final exams. Grades will be released later than usual, aversely impacting future plans.
ReplyDeleteThe school board is proposing a budget cut of nearly $900,000 and a tax increase of 2.9 percent. Such a cut will leave the schools understaffed. There will also be fewer academic options and athletics will also be weakened. The incoming classes will have fewer opportunities than we were offered. Not only will this affect their time here, it could also limit their options when applying for college or jobs. Restructuring classes to accommodate the budget cuts could leave children behind that might require extra attention, or limit students who are more accelerated.
Overall, these cuts will be detrimental to future generations. Unfortunately, little else can be done to deal with these pressing issues.
The 2010-2011 proposed school budget contains many decreased expenditures and tighter costs. A large part of the decreased costs are part of the art, music and language departments. Very large cuts are also proposed for operations and maintenance (down 13.86% from last year) and community services (down 36% from last year). The district is also losing significant revenues in programs such as property taxes and state aid. The district is compensating for these losses not by cutting programs such as modified sports (indeed, athletic expenditures have increased by nearly 2%), but by minimizing the music department and art classes, and phasing out the French department entirely.
ReplyDeleteThough we ourselves will not be a part of the district next year, our families will continue to be impacted by the budget. Obviously, a larger budget means higher taxes for our families, yet we all agree that many of the proposed cuts are unnecessary or wrong. For instance, the district justifies its cutting of the art programs by the fact that the incoming freshman class is smaller, so they will not feel the cuts. However, it is not Studio Art which is being eliminated; it is classes like Photography, which is only open to upperclassmen. Hannah took photography last year and Brighid has taken advanced Studio Art and Drawing and Painting, and we agree that such classes are vital to students building up a portfolio. Brighid acknowledges that the portfolio that she created in art classes was a huge asset to her admission to Cazenovia College (for illustration and graphic design), and will help her eliminate prerequisites for advanced courses. On the flip side, how many students are gaining admission to prestigious colleges and universities based on their middle school sports records?
Many local families are feeling financial pressure beyond the school budget due to state employee mandated furloughs. Beginning May 17th, state employees will be required to take one unpaid day off per week. Though none of our parents work for the state, we can still appreciate the huge impact this has on many families, as well as the community. With a declining income for many families around the capital district, many people will be forced to find new, cheaper homes, potentially leaving Castleton and Schodack. One need only drive around to see all the “For Sale” signs. Van Hoesen Road, for example, has three houses on the market on the lower end alone. It is a tough time for the district economically. With fewer residents in the area, taxes will be raised on those who remain in Castleton and Schodack, and the school budget will take an even bigger drop.
As to the school budget, the biggest way community member have now to protest the budget is to vote is down. This could be dangerous, however, because a defeated budget could result in an even tighter budget. Active protest (picket signs, verbal reminders, etc.) seem to be the most effective form of protest at this point. There were budget meetings with open public discussion, however, a large part of the community was not made aware of the forums and meeting (and their huge importance) until after the fact, and after decisions were made.
The taxes had an increase from 2009 to 2010. New home buyers are feeling the impact of the tax increase and my family being in that situation are really feeling the pressure. When it comes time to vote on the budget they like to vote down to lower taxes to save up more money... cutting down on teaching staff will help save the school money but it is not helping the community because its putting people out of jobs and classes for the students to take.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the school's decision to cut back on spending. Cutting a handfull of teachers aids is good because the number of kids in each grade is getting smaller anyways. As the classes get smaller then moving 5th grade to the middle school is a good way to save. I noticed JV tennis for both boys and girls are going to be cut. I agree with that , there will just be larger Varsity teams. As a senior most of this does not effect me but i have some younger cousins in the district that will be affected.
ReplyDeleteFor the parents who are losing there jobs at the state level i feel bad. Losing your job to the economy is unfair even though it needs to happen. Finding a replacement job would be hard at these times. Dont look for a job here at school because they are cutting back also.
Reading the information on the Schodack Central Schools website, we started out with a lot of questions. Which teachers are they going to cut? What about subjects like French and Physics? They are moving grades like 7th and 8th up to the high school? After further research, we saw the info on the 2010-2011 budget. It said that there will be a 2.9% increase in taxes and there will be reduced spending of around $894,000.
ReplyDeleteAlong with staff cuts, there are many cuts being made in areas such as JV tennis for boys and girls. Equiptment and supplies will be greatly reduced as well. All these cuts and reductions seem absolutely ridiculous when taking into consideration the fact that schodack refuses to expand. There is room for more businesses and homes to create a larger community, but instead jobs are being eliminated and school programs are taken away. It doesn't make much sense.
Schodack CSD is facing a large budget cut, and faculty members and activiites are being cut. Being in my senior year, it does not effect me. Although, i have a younger sister that is in her sophomore year. She will be not be as likely to get into the BOCES program because the district is reducing the amount of students they will send to a center. School supplies will become limited to the classes to follow, as well as class field trips, etc. Without a summer school program, there could be a lower rate of graduation.
ReplyDeleteAfter high school and college I don't plan to live in the district that much longer, so I would not be effected by the 2.9% tax increase. My parents plan to retire in our current house in the district, so they will continue to pay the new tax until it eventually changes.
The New York legislature recently approved the forced furloughs. This will have a huge impact on families across the state. The working people are forced to take a day off from work, decreasing their pay. This furlough forces lots of families to cut back on their budgets making it more difficult to provide for their families.
Neither of my parents work for the state, so they will not feel the loss in their pay.
2010-2011 will be a tough year for Schodack Central School districts. The budget is a lot tighter than the year before and lots of equipment, teaching, and staff positions will be cut. This does not sit well with me because I've been living in this community for a long time and know almost everyone in the school. The school district would be losing valuable members of the district that influence children everyday and shape and form their choices and lifestyles.
ReplyDeleteOn a different subject, Governor Paterson has decided to make 100,000 state workers to take one day off during the year to save 30 million dollars. Workers would lose a fifth of their pay and would have to rework Budgets, loans, and mortgages. I believe that they should not do this and actually have high ranking officals take pay cuts. This is because middle class people need that fifth of pay in order to make ends meet.
Many of the political figures in New York hae been very reluctant to pass the bill verifying furlows, yet, to save the state from its debt that it has acumulated over many years. Unfortunately, the furlow is going to take 1/5 of the state employees paycheck each week, taking away money that is need by many families in times of financial crisis like these. Whether the furlow was a good desicion by the state, oor a poor desicion that will ddestroy more families is a matter that will have too be seen in time.
ReplyDeletethe budget cuts post a problem with staff like our custodians and school monitors. our custodians have been in this school longer than i have and they are cherished just like our teachers same with our school monitors. i also have siblings that will be continuing their education after im gone. the budget cuts threaten our summer schools and vocational activities. ill be honest my brother has several learning disabilities that give him trouble reading and such and there has been several times he relied on summer school to pass. further more i feel that votech may be the only chance he has to make it after high school and without that i dont know what he will do. i dont have any family that works with the state so that aspect doesnt really affect me.
ReplyDeleteThe proposed Schodack Central School Districts 2010 budget plans to cut school spending by $893,555 and a tax increase of 2.9%. This will decrease the student's opportunites in sports as well as education possibilities ( art classes , music department), And staff members will be losing their jobs. Although i wont be going to school here next year and this will not effect me , I have a younger sibling who is 5 that it will effect.Even though the cuts in the budget will mean tax cuts for family's abnd save them money , it will not help children trying to get an education.the proposed work furlough for NY State Workers will not effect my family directly but it will effect families who have a parent working for the state. When that person is made to take a day off a week that they will not be paid for. This will effect the amount of income they have coming in to support their family.
ReplyDeleteThis year for the 2010 Schodack School District the taxes were increased from 2009. this will make the school even have to cut many postions and even some sport teams. Also taxing is high in this area becuase of the lack of business. This will effect my family cause times are getting tough
ReplyDeletemassive cuts to the school are being proposed to save money across the board in electives at maplehill. art positions are being threatened to be cut out this year the next year for maple hill is looking bad
ReplyDeleteAs an 18 year old looking for work my options should be widened and easier to come across because there are plenty of gas stations and fast food joints out there. Instead in a time like this our adult citizens are being laid-off and cut from there careers and they have no choice but to turn to part time jobs and such because they just have nothing else to fall back on. Our schools budget this coming year is going to be terrible, caring faculty and some very helpful staff are going to be no longer. I understand yeah its not going to effect me but the kids it will are still here and our school honestly has very few sports as it is and knowing money and how much it sucks who knows if we will ever get more or even the lost ones back.
ReplyDeletethe furlough and the budget are majorly important to families. the budget affects how much families have to pay for taxes, and parents who are state workers will have less money to pay said taxes if a furlough happens. these two subjects are very important because if they don't happen then sports and activities in schools get cut, thus cancelling scholarships out for many students, making it more expensive for them to go to college.
ReplyDeleteThe budget cut is such a personal topic. it is hard to truly say that you are defiantly all for, or all against the cut. #1) You don’t want your parents or anyone else you know living here in Schodack to have to pay a ridicules amount of taxes. But on the other hand, it is a school and functions best when there is the right amount of teachers/aids to keep class sizes down, and many electives and sport opportunities to keep students excited and driven.
ReplyDeletePersonally I believe the budget cut was necessary. With the state cutting aid, and the recession in full swing it would be shooting ourselves in the foot if we kept the budget the same. The residents are already not in possession of countless money tree orchards, and if the taxes increase too much, they would all simply move away and there would be even less income for the school. So I believe that the budget should be cut as much as possible!
The state worker furlough is also a hard thing to be completely for or against but everyone completely agrees that something has to change because our state cannot afford to spend all that money,. The furlough will force all state workers to take one day a week off, unpaid. This is going to save money for the state, but it means a pay decrease for state workers. In the long run, the furlough will shake some people off the state’s payroll altogether because they need all the income so they go find another job. If you think about the situation and wonder how we got into it. I believe that it is because during the economic boom a while ago the state could afford the luxuries and all of the employees. Sadly now, when were are in a recession, we can no longer afford those luxuries and all the employees of the state. It is annoying but when times change we can not just keep doing what we have always done, life doesn’t work like that. I think that the mentality of people today is that “I am entitled to a well paying job, I‘m entitled to this, I‘m entitled to that, ect.” but that’s not the reality. The reality is that Americans are not entitled to anything except: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, everything else needs to be earned.
The budget has certainly been a touchy issue in discussions. With a cut in state aid the school district is more responsible for providing funds to run the school. With the recession taxpayers simply dont have the money to keep the same budget as last year. Although this means a cut in electives and larger class sizes the expense of living in the area needs to stay low in order to keep local businesses and families in the area.
ReplyDeleteThe furloughs that have been brought about by the need for the state to reduce its debt. This is the same reason why it had to cut funding to our schools and other programs. It is definitely nessisary for cuts to be made just like they were with our school budget in order to relieve the taxpayers a little during this hard economic recession. I agree with paige above in that people have believe they are entitled to everything and that some things must be earned in life.
Although those of us going away next year may not be directly feeling some of the changes coming to Maple Hill, it will have a large impact on the community as a whole. Increased taxes and decreased classes and teachers won't make many people happy, but it may benefit in the long run. Excess and overextension are often the reason for financial problem, and downsizing will allow us to fix mistakes and rebuild better for the future. If you build a house, and find out that heating the upstairs is too expensive, then you can tear down the second floor and plan for a more efficient heating system in the future. Now, some of the problems may have been unavoidable and the school could have planned perfectly, but there is almost always something that can be improved on.As for the cuts to the school, it will be hard, but it will be bearable. An elective cut here or there may not benefit the kids with specific interests, but for the general population it won't have a grand effect.
ReplyDeleteThe furloughs present another problem to the community. Its a bitter time when one has to pay more school taxes yet will receive less money from their job. Although this may shrink the middle class even more, it may be necessary to prevent complete economic failure. However, if the state only needs them to work 4 days a week to get the required amount of work done, then we may have more than just financial problems on our hands. If furloughs are even considered an option then there may already be too many cooks in the kitchen.
The school budget for next year contains many saving options in the art and language programs. Although there are many students who take these classes, it will save the school a lot of money. The school cannot cut all of these classes. There still will be some art and language classes. If students still want to take them they can, but will not have a wide range of options. Hapefully, funding will increase in the future and the classes will be available again.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that the furloughs are unfair to the state workers. Many workers count on their entire pay to help them pay thier bills and raise a family. Cutting pay one day a week adds up. Thats means that workers are taking a huge pay cut. It is unfair for workers to be forced to not work. It should be optional for state workers at certain levels. The state also counts on the workers to complete their jobs. The state could be in more trouble if these jobs cannot be completed on time.
I think the school is destined to some tough times. The budget needs to be cut to keep taxes low so I can continue to purchase all the various vendables that sustain me. Cheetos, pretzels, bubbilicious bubble gum, that sort of thing.
ReplyDeleteAs for the furloughs, I wholeheartedly agree. What exactly do state workers do? I mean if they can actually afford to have everyone take a day off a week then we obviously hired to many people to file papers and write memos. I mean, seriously, who goes to college to become a state worker anyways?
In my country the school sports and activities are not included to taxes. In schools we don't take these things that seriously like people here do. If someone wants to play sport they are going to a club pay and play that sport all year, not when its in season. But there are study competitions are included to taxes and we have a lot of them. In one subject you could have 3 bigger and couple smaller competitions to go to and if you win the government pays for a class trip or something else. When we have to cut the budget, than we usually loose a couple competitions what we could go to. But collages and universities are free the only thing what you pay for is books which is a couple hundred a year.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am leaving for college soon, and many of these decisions and legislations will have no effect on me, I am leaving my brother behind and I want the best possible environment for him. The school budget is continually getting smaller, and as such many teacher positions and classes are being cut. I do not agree with this saving procedure for I believe alarge curriculum with many options is essential for a young person to fully develop their minds.
ReplyDeleteAs for the furloughs, I think they are an unfair cut on the income of many stateworkers, this is not the way to save money. If a man wishes to work in order support his family, I believe he should be allowed to work as hard and long as he wishes to.
The state furloughs are not the answer for the economic state New York is in. People should not be forced to work less than normal. many families need all the money they can get to keep there family healthy and happy, and the cutting back on jobs could effect their lives greatly. Neither of my parents work for the state but i know of several people who are effected. It really ruins all of their lives, their incomes are cut drastically,and with the way the economy is right now, people will be leaving NY faster if their jobs are getting cut. The state needs to find a new solution.
ReplyDeleteThough I am a Maple Hill Senior and leaving to live in a different town, the budget and the furlough both have a major impact on me and my family the same as the underclassmen and their families. I am moving to Oneonta to become part of a college community, but I am leaving behind an eight year old brother. The budget becomes more and more minimal each year and sports, classes and teachers are all being cut. I do not agree with this, a vast curriculum and sports are necessary for a child to develop and grow socially and mentally.
ReplyDeleteThe furlough does unfortunately affect my family. My mother is a state worker and this does affect her. This affects my entire family.
The 2010 budget plan shows a 2.9 percent increase in the tax rate while reducing spending by $893,555. Next year a total of 21 positions are scheduled to be eliminated. Class sizes will increase giving the students less one on one time with the teachers. This will be tougher for all students, especially students with learning disabilities. Even though this is my last year in high school my sister will still be attending maple hill with all the class cuts her choices will be limited.
ReplyDeleteA furlough is a forced unpaid leave of absence. the state tried to force 100,000 state workers to take a one day leave of absence which would save the state about 30 million dollars. personally if I was in this position I would be extremely upset. this is basically losing 20 percent of your paycheck. My aunt is a state worker, she could be affected by this furlough.