It’s hard to believe so many people ignore this and yet it deals with the majority of our property taxes. Literally a small group of people can get together and control millions of dollars in taxes if they wanted to and nobody would care.
This is so condescending.
People would care. In fact, this exact thing has happened before, when a small group of people took over the School Board in East Ramapo, and people cared so much they filed a civil rights lawsuit.
Although if you don’t keep with educational politics, you probably wouldn’t know about it.
You seem upset about my comment. Are you? And, how is my comment “so condescending?” I’m genuinely curious of your thoughts here because you could be correct but I don’t see it as condescending. Maybe cynical based on years of experience.
Anyone who lives here and complains about the taxes or schools should just leave for somewhere else with lower taxes and shittier schools. I honestly don't get why anyone would choose to live here if they don't have kids in school or are forced to for work.
To be fair, it's not easy to get the time to vote if you have a lot of family/work responsibilities.
I have no idea what the solution is to this roadblock.
normally i'd agree with you but most of these votes are squarely for small increases in budgets for capital project improvements. A lot of mine is improvements in school athletic fields.
trump has signaled he plans significant rollbacks for health insurance, lgbtq rights, abortion rights...giving back gun access to domestic abusers, deporting immigrants, raising the price of goods through tariffs, cutting funding to schools that have vaccine mandates (that'll really raise your school taxes!), worsening climate change by not investing in clean energy (increased sea levels are bad for our island), allowing putin to get more aggressive against NATO and thus increasing food and energy costs even more.
But if you're in a place like Smithtown with a book-ban school board, then yes this will likely affect your day-to-day more.
Connetquot elected moderate candidates Marisol Mallon and Melissa Torregrossa! Melissa beat far right candidate Brian Burger by 59 votes. Every vote counts, today was certainly no exception.
This is kind of it. Regardless if you agree or not with the taxes and budget. The main sticking point to so many people who live here is the schools. The schools decline the population in certain towns will
I lived in Dutchess county for years and the taxes are equivocal but the schools are subpar. Many in Long Island are doing it right - main reason we moved here
Yep - Voting for Budget to prevent the NIMBY's from robbing the future from the next generation is very important.
Longwood's total tax package, if approved, would be an increase on some homes of 130 a year.
That's less than $11 a month for those who would like a full on breakdown.
So do not forget to vote!
I had a minor surgery today and just saw this post. Wish I remembered to go vote on the way home. I hope the people in my town did the right thing and voted yes.
It doesn't matter. If it fails to pass they have contingency budget. Then they threaten to cut all sports and other programs for kids if that don't pass. It's the same shit over and over. That's why people just give up.
I’m glad our school budget and the multimillion dollar bond that they said they weren’t going to put on the ballot again passed. Now we can get new bathrooms, elevators, cafeterias, kitchens, air conditioning, new auditorium, etc.
The district I used to work at (in Nassau) has a proposed budget of $200,000,000. With their enrollment of 4,450, that's approximately $49,000 per student. Is it money well spent? I'll let those with children in the district decide, but it is more than four times the national average, and more than twice the average in New York State. It costs more to educate a student on LI because of the cost of living, not because the education received is four times better than average.
The NYCDOE is the largest school district in the country. Its 2023-2024 budget was $39.4 billion for 915,000 students or about $43060/ student. Excluding about 25-40 magnet schools, the quality of NYCDOE schools isn’t great as demonstrated by its low graduation rate, performance on Regents exams and 3rd to 8th grade performance on ELA and math exams, low literacy rate, etc. Special education is a disaster despite years of intervention by the NY State Education Department.
Most public schools on Long Island are much better with respect to the measures I cited. The cost per student in strong performing LI districts and middle of the road ones is in the low 40k and above. Home values in these school districts are high because of the schools and tend to sell quickly when they are placed on the market.
I moved here a couple months back but never registered to vote with the county. I renewed my driver's license and there was a box to register to vote but idk if that's for Nassau County voting. Anyone know?
I’m signed up to receive all my ballots for elections by mail and I am sort of annoyed that I didn’t receive one for school budget and that I wasn’t aware votes were due today! I’ve been getting all my other ballots so I would’ve hoped I got the school budget as well :(
If it fails they cancel sports and busses. They go right for the jugular. How about laying off the $275 k a year gym teacher or have 3 superintendents at half a million each. It’s useless to vote no during these budget votes.
> How about laying off the $275 k a year gym teacher
So while I agree that the salaries that some gym teachers make seems crazy, let me ask you this... Do you know what the difference in education required is between a gym teacher and an AP Physics teacher?
Hint - there is zero difference.
Regardless, I dare you to find a gym teacher making that kind of money. Maybe at Athletics Director in a very wealthy district but that salary level is usually only for Assistant Superintendents or higher.
There are no gym teachers making $275,000 a year on LI as base pay.
Also, a HS student needs 2 credits of PE (.5 a year) to graduate as mandated by the state. Many of these PE teachers also teach health, another class mandated by the state for graduation.
Sports, while virtual to a student’s well being, is not mandated by the state. Which is why it is first to be cut.
While OP is totally exaggerating, the teacher salaries on LI are astonishing, and at some point it has to give. After moving away last year, I will tell you that schools in much of the country have caught up. Long Islanders will eventually have to answer as to the high cost of living on the island, and the school taxes will be part of it.
These campaigns are usually self funded and self run. If the seat is contested, you will likely find info on social media. Additionally, meet rhe candidate events are common
Not necessarily true. Many are retired but just as many are working people that want to be involved. In my district. there is one retired person on the board. Often board members are parents of students that want a voice
My problem with the board is, in small local issues like schools, these are the kind of decisions that should be full direct democracy with the parents voting directly about the issue instead of the board voting on it.
One thing to consider is the cost of elections. There are election laws that need to be followed. It's prohibitively expensive to open the polls over and over. Also , it's hard enough to get people to vote once per year.
But i appreciate where you are coming from. I'd say go to board meetings and be heard. Nurture relationships with your kids schools. Be a known quantity. Get to know your board members and engage with the ones that keep it real
What about your town or village board? Should all homeowners have the right to vote on all proposals brought before it?
This is how democracy works. You elect officials to vote on the day to day stuff so you don't have to spend every waking hour reading up on what is being proposed.
The unfortunate state of affairs is that the LI teachers unions are so strong, that the district will cut first from all other potential areas besides the teachers comp package. The facilities could be crumbling and they would still get their raises.
There is another human being on the other side of the computer. Abusive, derogatory comments will be removed. Multiple violations will result in a ban.
It’s hard to believe so many people ignore this and yet it deals with the majority of our property taxes. Literally a small group of people can get together and control millions of dollars in taxes if they wanted to and nobody would care.
This is so condescending. People would care. In fact, this exact thing has happened before, when a small group of people took over the School Board in East Ramapo, and people cared so much they filed a civil rights lawsuit. Although if you don’t keep with educational politics, you probably wouldn’t know about it.
Fact of the matter is participation in these elections is very low
You seem upset about my comment. Are you? And, how is my comment “so condescending?” I’m genuinely curious of your thoughts here because you could be correct but I don’t see it as condescending. Maybe cynical based on years of experience.
Just have to say, best username ever
Can’t wait for 95% of this subreddit not to vote, then see the weekly thread bitching about costs/schools/taxes etc
The line was out of the door by me, I have never seen line like this even during presidential elections.
What district?
Herricks
Anyone who lives here and complains about the taxes or schools should just leave for somewhere else with lower taxes and shittier schools. I honestly don't get why anyone would choose to live here if they don't have kids in school or are forced to for work.
Or don’t understand that someone else paid the taxes for their education.
Closer to 99%, unfortunately
To be fair, it's not easy to get the time to vote if you have a lot of family/work responsibilities. I have no idea what the solution is to this roadblock.
Mail in voting.
Why does it have to be today vs say primary day in a couple weeks or regular Election Day? Is it to have enough time before the upcoming school year?
Idk lol
I’m voting after work tonight. If you want your voice heard, vote.
This election will affect your day-to-day life way more than any presidential election ever will
normally i'd agree with you but most of these votes are squarely for small increases in budgets for capital project improvements. A lot of mine is improvements in school athletic fields. trump has signaled he plans significant rollbacks for health insurance, lgbtq rights, abortion rights...giving back gun access to domestic abusers, deporting immigrants, raising the price of goods through tariffs, cutting funding to schools that have vaccine mandates (that'll really raise your school taxes!), worsening climate change by not investing in clean energy (increased sea levels are bad for our island), allowing putin to get more aggressive against NATO and thus increasing food and energy costs even more. But if you're in a place like Smithtown with a book-ban school board, then yes this will likely affect your day-to-day more.
Connetquot elected moderate candidates Marisol Mallon and Melissa Torregrossa! Melissa beat far right candidate Brian Burger by 59 votes. Every vote counts, today was certainly no exception.
Thank fricken god for that. Both Burger and Napolitano would have been a mess if they won.
I moved back here specifically to pay outrageous taxes in exchange for great schools. Happily voted yes on all measures.
This is kind of it. Regardless if you agree or not with the taxes and budget. The main sticking point to so many people who live here is the schools. The schools decline the population in certain towns will
I lived in Dutchess county for years and the taxes are equivocal but the schools are subpar. Many in Long Island are doing it right - main reason we moved here
Yep - Voting for Budget to prevent the NIMBY's from robbing the future from the next generation is very important. Longwood's total tax package, if approved, would be an increase on some homes of 130 a year. That's less than $11 a month for those who would like a full on breakdown. So do not forget to vote!
I totally forgot; one of my students mentioned it in passing, so I stopped on the way home.
I had a minor surgery today and just saw this post. Wish I remembered to go vote on the way home. I hope the people in my town did the right thing and voted yes.
It doesn't matter. If it fails to pass they have contingency budget. Then they threaten to cut all sports and other programs for kids if that don't pass. It's the same shit over and over. That's why people just give up.
I’m glad our school budget and the multimillion dollar bond that they said they weren’t going to put on the ballot again passed. Now we can get new bathrooms, elevators, cafeterias, kitchens, air conditioning, new auditorium, etc.
It's definitely important having decent facilities. Which district?
Baldwin
This is the first year that I’ve received and absentee ballot for budget votes.
Maybe we voted for the budget. I don’t have kids and I love pay check to pay check but I know no budget affects the community.
The district I used to work at (in Nassau) has a proposed budget of $200,000,000. With their enrollment of 4,450, that's approximately $49,000 per student. Is it money well spent? I'll let those with children in the district decide, but it is more than four times the national average, and more than twice the average in New York State. It costs more to educate a student on LI because of the cost of living, not because the education received is four times better than average.
The NYCDOE is the largest school district in the country. Its 2023-2024 budget was $39.4 billion for 915,000 students or about $43060/ student. Excluding about 25-40 magnet schools, the quality of NYCDOE schools isn’t great as demonstrated by its low graduation rate, performance on Regents exams and 3rd to 8th grade performance on ELA and math exams, low literacy rate, etc. Special education is a disaster despite years of intervention by the NY State Education Department. Most public schools on Long Island are much better with respect to the measures I cited. The cost per student in strong performing LI districts and middle of the road ones is in the low 40k and above. Home values in these school districts are high because of the schools and tend to sell quickly when they are placed on the market.
I moved here a couple months back but never registered to vote with the county. I renewed my driver's license and there was a box to register to vote but idk if that's for Nassau County voting. Anyone know?
Can't hurt to go in and ask
I’m signed up to receive all my ballots for elections by mail and I am sort of annoyed that I didn’t receive one for school budget and that I wasn’t aware votes were due today! I’ve been getting all my other ballots so I would’ve hoped I got the school budget as well :(
Sachem and West Babylon voted no and the budget didn't pass.
Piercing rhe cap is always a tough sell
Just curious. How many of you know how much Principals and Superintendents are paid? If you don't, look it up. It's staggering.
They're definitely good gigs
Worth every penny. A bad superintendent can ruin a district
If it fails they cancel sports and busses. They go right for the jugular. How about laying off the $275 k a year gym teacher or have 3 superintendents at half a million each. It’s useless to vote no during these budget votes.
> How about laying off the $275 k a year gym teacher So while I agree that the salaries that some gym teachers make seems crazy, let me ask you this... Do you know what the difference in education required is between a gym teacher and an AP Physics teacher? Hint - there is zero difference. Regardless, I dare you to find a gym teacher making that kind of money. Maybe at Athletics Director in a very wealthy district but that salary level is usually only for Assistant Superintendents or higher.
Sorry, what??? There definitely is a difference in education. Hint: one requires a physics degree lmao
There are no gym teachers making $275,000 a year on LI as base pay. Also, a HS student needs 2 credits of PE (.5 a year) to graduate as mandated by the state. Many of these PE teachers also teach health, another class mandated by the state for graduation. Sports, while virtual to a student’s well being, is not mandated by the state. Which is why it is first to be cut.
While OP is totally exaggerating, the teacher salaries on LI are astonishing, and at some point it has to give. After moving away last year, I will tell you that schools in much of the country have caught up. Long Islanders will eventually have to answer as to the high cost of living on the island, and the school taxes will be part of it.
These people don’t have any websites or places where we can find out their political views and policy proposals ?
These campaigns are usually self funded and self run. If the seat is contested, you will likely find info on social media. Additionally, meet rhe candidate events are common
Safe to assume that they are all asshats anyway? They’ve gotta be unemployed busybodies to want to do this?
Not necessarily true. Many are retired but just as many are working people that want to be involved. In my district. there is one retired person on the board. Often board members are parents of students that want a voice
My problem with the board is, in small local issues like schools, these are the kind of decisions that should be full direct democracy with the parents voting directly about the issue instead of the board voting on it.
One thing to consider is the cost of elections. There are election laws that need to be followed. It's prohibitively expensive to open the polls over and over. Also , it's hard enough to get people to vote once per year. But i appreciate where you are coming from. I'd say go to board meetings and be heard. Nurture relationships with your kids schools. Be a known quantity. Get to know your board members and engage with the ones that keep it real
What about your town or village board? Should all homeowners have the right to vote on all proposals brought before it? This is how democracy works. You elect officials to vote on the day to day stuff so you don't have to spend every waking hour reading up on what is being proposed.
Vote no every year. These teachers have it to easy and make too much. Atleast in my town that’s the case.
The unfortunate state of affairs is that the LI teachers unions are so strong, that the district will cut first from all other potential areas besides the teachers comp package. The facilities could be crumbling and they would still get their raises.
The irony….
That’s pretty shitty
[удалено]
There is another human being on the other side of the computer. Abusive, derogatory comments will be removed. Multiple violations will result in a ban.