East Ramapo seeks tax cap override for budget

The East Ramapo school board has proposed a 2.49 percent tax hike to restore some extracurricular programs, hire five new teachers and provide busing for private school students on days when district schools are off.

But, the spending plan's tax increase will require approval by 60 percent of voters should this version of the budget make it to ballots on May 16 since state law requires districts pitching budgets with tax levies above the cap to obtain a supermajority.

Although an attempt to override the state’s tax cap wasn’t originally part of the plan this year, district officials were sent back to the drawing board April 21 after state Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia rescinded her earlier approval of the budget.

At the time of her rejection, Elia said she could not support it because instead of providing funding for educational programs within the public schools that have been cut in recent years, the budget allocated money for busing private school children on five days the public schools are shut.

EARLIER COVERAGE: State rescinds approval of East Ramapo's budget

During a special meeting on Wednesday evening, Superintendent Deborah Wortham presented the revised 2017-18 budget, which calls for the full restoration of non-mandated busing of up to 14 district holidays a year.

“The budget originally included five days of transportation on days like superintendent’s conferences and winter break, but the commissioner stepped in and disallowed inclusion of such funding because it was her understanding the only way additional days could be included in the budget would be if there was additional revenue,” Wortham said.

Although the district plans to spend $1.4 million on transportation for the coming school year, Wortham said it anticipates receiving $1 million in reimbursement from the state.

"The net cost moving forward past the 2018-19 year would be around $400,000," she said.

The budget also reallocates $505,000 originally earmarked for non-mandated transportation towards the hiring of five teachers, a program to foster collaboration between teachers and fixed costs related to personnel, social security and health insurance.

Altogether, the budget calls for $232.6 million in spending and $152 million to be raised through taxes. Under the budget, a home assessed at around $500,000 can expect to see an annual increase of $190 on tax bills.

If Elia signs off on it, voters in East Ramapo will weigh in during the May 16 election on whether the district should exceed the state’s 1.48 percent cap on raising property taxes.

Wortham said the decision to seek approval to bust the cap by $1.5 million “was not something to be taken lightly.” However, she said, it is a necessary one “to begin the process of rebuilding our district” because it would help deliver $3.7 million in new local revenue.

"It is an investment by the community to drive more funds to public schools," she said.

“The concept [of an override] was first raised by the monitors back in December 2015. Given the six budget failures between 2004 and 2012, the district’s local tax levy was $8.7 million less in local tax money than it might have been with successful budget passes each year,” she said.

Last year, of the 36 school districts across the state attempting a budget override, 78 percent saw their budgets pass, according to the New York State School Boards Association.

If a budget is rejected, a second vote may be held. Or, school boards can forgo that if they adopt a contingency budget. Under state law, a contingency budget requires zero percent growth in the district’s tax levy.

Balancing the budget with the district's needs is a challenge every year and whether or not the board has pitched "a reasonable tax increase" is up to the voters, school board President Yehuda Weissmandl said.

“It’s a question that I don’t think we have the answer to,” he said.

In the wake of Wednesday's unanimous vote by the board, opposition is mounting and critics are calling for Elia to reject East Ramapo's proposed budget.

Willie Trotman, president of the Spring Valley branch of the NAACP, said a one percent override "neither dramatically changes the district's fiscal situation nor significantly addresses the needs of public school students." Rather, "it requires all taxpayers to fully funded non-mandated transportation to private schools," he said. "This is deceptive and prejudicial."

Chevon DosReis, a public school parent and candidate for school board, said she feels betrayed and cheated.

"Public school funds are to be utilized in areas having to do with the academic success of all of its public school students. Transportation is mandated by the state. However, since the district has had to make significant cuts, non-mandated busing days should not be a consideration," she said.

Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski issued a statement Thursday afternoon, saying, "The district must ensure that all public school programs are fully restored and adequately funded before considering expanding non-mandated services."

He also said, "Great strides were made over the past year to restore educational opportunities in this district. To switch course in year two and expend significant taxpayer dollars to fund non-mandated private school services is ill advised."

On Thursday morning, a state spokesman said the commissioner will review the newly submitted budget as soon as possible.

A public hearing on the spending plan is scheduled for May 8, according to the district clerk.

In East Ramapo, around 24,000 students in the district are enrolled in private schools, mainly yeshivas, while about 8,500 students attend one of the 14 public schools.

Along with staff, programs and activities in public schools, providing busing for private schools on the 14 days the district schools are closed fell victim to budget cuts in 2011, and it “has caused a great health and safety concern,” according to Weissmandl.

Last week he said, “It has been an ongoing conversation with the nonpublic school community since 2011 when these days of transportation were cut from the budget.”

In 2015, East Ramapo was placed under state oversight as a way to help improve the district’s finances amid allegations of mismanagement by school officials and develop long-term solutions to boost student performance.

At Wednesday’s meeting, neither Wortham nor the board offered insight into when the education commissioner flagged the spending that led her to reject the budget. However, Wortham did say she, along with Board President Yehuda Weissmandl and monitors Chuck Szuberla and John Sipple met with Elia on Tuesday.

“The goal was to find a way to move forward productively to serve all of the children of East Ramapo,” she said.

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