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alisonggg
Cutie
Member since 3/06 4749 total posts
Name:
a
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
Posted by dgtlsunshine
This study clearly shows that this statemetn is incorrect. It is not an affordability issue it is a management issue of the funds that is causing the high tax dollars on LI.
ita
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Posted 5/18/07 10:51 AM  |
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dgtlsunshine
LIF Infant
Member since 12/05 217 total posts
Name:
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
Yes Fairfax County is a very expensive county, which is why the study is citing why is it that even in Fairfax County residents are not paying the high taxes that LI demands and they are getting even better service with those tax dollars.
Taken from cnn.com
Richest counties with a population of 250,000 or more
Rank City Median household income, 2004
1 Fairfax County, VA $83,975
2 Somerset County, NJ $84,892
3 Morris County, NJ $83,583
4 Montgomery County, MD $82,971
5 Howard County, MD $82,065
6 Nassau County, NY $78,762
7 Prince William County, VA $77,678
8 Monmouth County, NJ $77,223
9 Rockland County, NY $75,306
10 Santa Clara County, CA $74,509
11 Fairfield County, CT $73,110
12 Chester County, PA $72,288
13 Suffolk County, NY $71,956
14 McHenry County, IL $71,153
15 Bergen County, NJ $70,957
16 Norfolk County, MA $70,903
17 Lake County, IL $70,347
18 Middlesex County, NJ $70,344
19 DuPage County, IL $70,174
20 Westchester County
Posted by Meaghan729
Posted by dgtlsunshine
If you look at the top 1000 school list Fairfax county schools are far superior as far as rank to LI schools.
those Top 1000 school lists arent always "apples to apples" - many compare state test scores, and we all know NY has higher standards than other states.
and they use AP tests, but alot of LI schools offer CLEP too, which students take over AP and it skewes the ratings.
LI is expensive because it is one of the most desirable places to live - consolidating SDs wont make it cheaper.
and isnt Fairfax county also expenive?
Message edited 5/18/2007 11:02:49 AM.
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| Posted 5/18/07 10:53 AM |
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Beth
The Key to your new home....
Member since 2/06 24849 total posts
Name:
Beth
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
Posted by alisonggg
Posted by dgtlsunshine
This study clearly shows that this statemetn is incorrect. It is not an affordability issue it is a management issue of the funds that is causing the high tax dollars on LI.
ita
mismanagement of funds in Nassau and Suffolk is an on going problem that goes way beyond the schools
they don't call brookhaven, "crookhaven" for no reason
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| Posted 5/18/07 11:10 AM |
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MsG
Should be working
Member since 5/05 2824 total posts
Name:
G
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
I wonder how NYC is able to have about six or seven awesome high schools with so little money.
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| Posted 5/18/07 11:17 AM |
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Emm
LIF Zygote
Member since 11/05 12 total posts
Name:
marie
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
Posted by SweetTooth
OK i went home after posting this and never got to see the responses... To counter the "you get what you pay for" mentality, I don't know about that. DH lived upstate and the SD he went to could be considered on par with many of the top districts here on LI, and taxes there are no where near what they are here. In fact, his brother pays a total mortgage of $800/month - including SD taxes.
The taxes here are out of control, and I don't think it has to do with the quality of education. I am not sure what it has to do with, really.
I agree with this completely. I don't think that the amount of money spent necessarily correlates to the quality of education.
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| Posted 5/18/07 11:20 AM |
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alisonggg
Cutie
Member since 3/06 4749 total posts
Name:
a
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
Posted by Beth1210
they don't call brookhaven, "crookhaven" for no reason
oh i definitely know all about this firsthand... we bid jobs for those local municipalities all the time and even when we are the lowest bidder somehow we seem to not get awarded the job 
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| Posted 5/18/07 11:24 AM |
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MegZee
My bunny
Member since 5/06 8777 total posts
Name:
Meaghan
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
Posted by MsG
I wonder how NYC is able to have about six or seven awesome high schools with so little money.
because they get more state aid.
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| Posted 5/18/07 11:24 AM |
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MsG
Should be working
Member since 5/05 2824 total posts
Name:
G
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
Posted by Meaghan729
Posted by MsG
I wonder how NYC is able to have about six or seven awesome high schools with so little money.
because they get more state aid.
Really? I thought the city recently had a huge law suit b/c the didn't get more aid. If they won that suit, it's only been a few years that they've gotten more, than these schools have been around for a long time.
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| Posted 5/18/07 11:28 AM |
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Tah-wee-ZAH
Kisses
Member since 5/05 15952 total posts
Name:
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
Posted by Meaghan729
Posted by MsG
I wonder how NYC is able to have about six or seven awesome high schools with so little money.
because they get more state aid.
And if you are talking about the magnet high schools... Styvesant, Bronx HS of Science, etc., students are required to meet certain entrance requirements to enter those schools. They are not a typical "public school" in that they allow all to attend, they pick and chose hence better test scores etc.
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| Posted 5/18/07 11:39 AM |
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dgtlsunshine
LIF Infant
Member since 12/05 217 total posts
Name:
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
Posted by Tah-wee-ZAH
Posted by Meaghan729
Posted by MsG
I wonder how NYC is able to have about six or seven awesome high schools with so little money.
because they get more state aid.
And if you are talking about the magnet high schools... Styvesant, Bronx HS of Science, etc., students are required to meet certain entrance requirements to enter those schools. They are not a typical "public school" in that they allow all to attend, they pick and chose hence better test scores etc.
Just want to add they do not include magnet schools in the list b/c it screws the numbers...so those schools are not included on the list and neither are magnet schools in VA.
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| Posted 5/18/07 11:42 AM |
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LUCY
I <3 Gabriella
Member since 6/06 1029 total posts
Name:
N
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
ITA agree that we pay more to get our children better educations..... and am not a major fan of consolidation.....
However, considering my School Taxes alone next year will be in excess of $10,500..... and climbing.... i think something has to be done to control the school spending.
NJ and CT have recently instituted "Caps" of 3 and 4% on their school budgets... I think this is something we should be looking into...
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| Posted 5/18/07 11:51 AM |
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MegZee
My bunny
Member since 5/06 8777 total posts
Name:
Meaghan
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
Posted by MsG
Posted by Meaghan729
Posted by MsG
I wonder how NYC is able to have about six or seven awesome high schools with so little money.
because they get more state aid.
Really? I thought the city recently had a huge law suit b/c the didn't get more aid. If they won that suit, it's only been a few years that they've gotten more, than these schools have been around for a long time.
all nyc schools are considered "poor", because due to no child left behind, if you are in a bad neighborhood and want your kid out, they can go to any school in the system.
Yeah, they want MORE state aid, they already get a ton. FH said they have a textbook budget, its use it or lose it - so textbooks get ordered for the sake of ordering textbooks, and they have years of new textbooks in boxes that havent been used.
I like the idea about a cap on the increase. thats something to think about!
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| Posted 5/18/07 12:14 PM |
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Eleanor
LIF Adult
Member since 2/06 2223 total posts
Name:
Ellie
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
I definitely think that admin salaries should be cut. There is this idea that LI schools need corporate executives as superintendants....but honestly I think working up through the school system gives one more understanding and is easier to give a smaller salary.
I actually like that I live in a small SD - It gives a sense of community.
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| Posted 5/18/07 1:24 PM |
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conigs25
So in love with this kid!
Member since 5/06 11197 total posts
Name:
Michele
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
I think too many schools WASTE money and THATS the problem
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| Posted 5/18/07 1:26 PM |
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
Posted by MsG
I wonder how NYC is able to have about six or seven awesome high schools with so little money.
Six or seven out of how many? And how many of those six or seven select the students? What's left for the below average kid?
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| Posted 5/18/07 1:31 PM |
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Hi-Fi55
12 years...wow....
Member since 2/06 2984 total posts
Name:
Dianne
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
Posted by SweetestOfPeas
I have ALWAYS said that LI has WAYYYYYY too many SD's!!  why does every town need it's own?  IMO, they should definitely start merging them!! that's one of the main reasons why property taxes here are  everything is redundant!
You took the words right out of my mouth!
Too much administration - they need to go.
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| Posted 5/18/07 3:14 PM |
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MsG
Should be working
Member since 5/05 2824 total posts
Name:
G
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
Posted by Tah-wee-ZAH
Posted by Meaghan729
Posted by MsG
I wonder how NYC is able to have about six or seven awesome high schools with so little money.
because they get more state aid.
And if you are talking about the magnet high schools... Styvesant, Bronx HS of Science, etc., students are required to meet certain entrance requirements to enter those schools. They are not a typical "public school" in that they allow all to attend, they pick and chose hence better test scores etc.
\
Right, but we don't have that option on LI.
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| Posted 5/18/07 3:29 PM |
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dn2006
LIF Zygote
Member since 6/06 30 total posts
Name:
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
Do we all realize that the current number of administrators is necessary? Why?
1) Let's look at the Roslyn effect; new laws mandate there be certain central admin positions. It keeps people honest. If it weren't for the Roslyn scandal there probably would be less admins but money disappearing money.
2) How much can one administrator do? There are top administrators for a reason. There are admins that need to worry about money, another for curriculum and staffing, another for the ever increasing special education students and one to be in charge of all of them.
If you compare a Superintendent of a school district to a corporation, many school districts are 100 million plus budget districts. What is the pay for a person in the private business sector making for running a 100+ million dollar company? Are they making 200K..NOPE. A Superintendent makes what appears to be a lot money but when you look at the big picture; they are on the job 24 hours a day 7 days a week. They have to deal with a lot of crap from parents, board members, silly, stupid student misconduct etc. They sometimes run districts of 8,000 students and may have staffs as large as 800+. Sure they don't go into for the money they go into for the love of children and making sure they are getting the best they can. Ask a business CEO to run a school district for 200K and they'll look at you and laugh. The reason people pay attention to salaries is because the tax payes are paying the salaries. I'd rather have the best person worrying about my children at school so if they make 200K+ for a 24hr/7day a week job then I'm getting a bargain.
Talking about losing sports etc if a budget does not pass...schools are NOT allowed to have anything extra than academics, that is state law. It's not a districts barganing chip to get a budget passed.
Message edited 5/18/2007 3:32:34 PM.
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| Posted 5/18/07 3:31 PM |
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MsG
Should be working
Member since 5/05 2824 total posts
Name:
G
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
Posted by ssdbk
Posted by MsG
I wonder how NYC is able to have about six or seven awesome high schools with so little money.
Six or seven out of how many? And how many of those six or seven select the students? What's left for the below average kid?
My point isn't addressing the below average, or even the average kid. What I'm saying is when there is centralized admin there can be more school choices. Gifted students on LI just don't have the same options as city kids do.
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| Posted 5/18/07 3:32 PM |
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
Posted by MsG
Posted by ssdbk
Posted by MsG
I wonder how NYC is able to have about six or seven awesome high schools with so little money.
Six or seven out of how many? And how many of those six or seven select the students? What's left for the below average kid?
My point isn't addressing the below average, or even the average kid. What I'm saying is when there is centralized admin there can be more school choices. Gifted students on LI just don't have the same options as city kids do.
There are many, many programs on Long Island for gifted kids. In the city, the kid who is just slightly above average or anywhere below that on the spectrum gets less than they would get out here. My husband and I are both highly educated and I believe that were are both very intelligent. I would love to imagine having the smartest kid in the class, but the truth is that I really don't know what services my child may need. Chances are better where I live than in the city. I lived in the city for a few years and I would give anything to be able to move back. The schools, while not terrible, are not like the schools out here.
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| Posted 5/18/07 5:39 PM |
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oakslady
LIF Adult
Member since 8/05 969 total posts
Name:
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
i'm all for consolidation. if NYC can do it suffolk and nassau should be able to have a single district each. save on alot of administrative costs and be able to order supplies at a bulk rate.
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| Posted 5/19/07 10:12 PM |
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Blondie805
Life is good :)
Member since 2/06 1205 total posts
Name:
MB
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
Posted by juanvi
Posted by SweetTooth
I was just reading about how almost all the SD passed their budgets this week... and although I guess in comparison to other years, this increases this year were lower - they were still INCREASES, making our already insane taxes HIGHER!
It seems to me the only real way to alleviate the taxes on LI is consolidate SDs - get rid of some super-high paid superintendents, etc.... what do you think? Is there another solution?
Majority of Long Islanders would never go for it. I will pay more for a top district. It's expensive to educate children well. All thhe activiies as well and sports. all the $$ is well worth it.
agreed!
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| Posted 5/19/07 10:25 PM |
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lilqtny
-Crossfit & pitbull addict
Member since 7/06 2830 total posts
Name:
Tracy
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
Posted by mbtieds
Posted by juanvi
Posted by SweetTooth
I was just reading about how almost all the SD passed their budgets this week... and although I guess in comparison to other years, this increases this year were lower - they were still INCREASES, making our already insane taxes HIGHER!
It seems to me the only real way to alleviate the taxes on LI is consolidate SDs - get rid of some super-high paid superintendents, etc.... what do you think? Is there another solution?
Majority of Long Islanders would never go for it. I will pay more for a top district. It's expensive to educate children well. All thhe activiies as well and sports. all the $$ is well worth it.
agreed!
agreed as well. My parents stuck it out in our district and voted the budget up every year (even before and after we left the school system) because of the quality of the school.
I love how quickly people will take away the jobs of administrators and teachers. Why are our jobs any different than any others? I worked hard for my education and deserve to be paid properly for it. I have read so many posts on here from people in other fields that say they won't take a job for less than such and such a salary b/c they have a degree. I have two and I am working on a third. I don't deserve the $$$ because I am in Education? As far as the 80K per year Janitors are concerned....they are VERY hard working men and women and I am SURE that they only get up to salaries of 80K per year after many years of service. Once again, THEY DESERVE THE MONEY.
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| Posted 5/19/07 10:45 PM |
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VirginiaDeb
Don't eat me, hippo!
Member since 5/05 9252 total posts
Name:
Deb
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
I'm currently a teacher in Fairfax, VA, and having the big district has it's advantages and disadvantages.
There are so many great opportunities for teachers... they offer lots of classes for free (including classes that go w/ universities) that I imagine smaller districts wouldn't be able to offer.
They have lots of magnet schools and different programs that I know weren't availble to me as a student in Smithtown.
There is one central office that you can tell is overwhelmed (they lost my insurance documents in the begining of the year). There is the county, and then 8 smaller 'clusters' w/i the county... each with 3-4 High Schools.
Then there's the issue w/ closing schools. It can snow in one part of the county, and not another, and then you get parents all up in arms if you close and there's no snow, or if you don't close and there is. Parts of the county are still fairly rural.
It was great, though, being able to have a huge job fair. I was hired by the county in February since they knew there would be several jobs avalible. It's also very easy to transfer if you're unhappy with your school.
Fairfax is a really well respected district in VA (which, sadly, has gone to their heads a bit) but I think overall it's doing a really good job for the kids.
I'm in kind of a middle of the road school. But almost every classroom has projectors, and most will have SmartBoards by next school year. Our school is getting a program where kids will have 2 half hour lessons a week taught in Spanish (it's an initative to get all FFX students speaking 2 languages).
I do wish, however, that it was a bit smaller. Maybe 3 districts instead of one.
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| Posted 5/19/07 10:58 PM |
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mamaA
LIF Adolescent
Member since 6/06 812 total posts
Name:
Amy
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Re: How do you feel about consolidation of school districts on LI?
Personally, I think the admin's put up a VERY united front. They would never go without a fight- and they would stick together and lay off secretaries, teachers and other SRP staff before they got rid of one of their owm.
THEN...They'd cry wolf over how short staffed they are. Sorry, I have a bad tase in my mouth regarding MY school's admin and my maternity leave.
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| Posted 5/19/07 11:09 PM |
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