New Castle Citizens for Responsible Education
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Chappaqua School District Budget, 2000-11
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Enrollment, 2007-11
Cost Per Pupil, 2000 - 2011
Total Budget & Property Taxes, 2000 - 11
Source: www.chappaqua.k12.ny.us/ccsd/SchoolDistrict/presenta.htm
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New Castle Citizens for Responsible Education
(NC-CRE) was started by a group of concerned residents in Chappaqua and Millwood, N.Y., who have come together to advocate for enhanced fiscal responsibility in our school budgets.
In the 2009-2010 budget cycle, NC-CRE successfully influenced the Chappaqua School Board to propose and the community to approve a zero-percent tax increase.
Given the rate of recent Chappaqua School Board budget increases in the past ten years – as high as 12.9% (2003-04) and more recently, 5.12% in 2007-08 and 5.25% in 2008-09 – this zero-percent budget increase is a breakthrough. It recognizes our area’s severe economic downturn and the unsustainability of substantial yearly school budget increases.
Our mission is twofold:
- Maintain the excellent educational experience for our children that has been a hallmark of the Chappaqua Central School District.
- Recognize that the rate of year-over increases in basic costs is unsustainable and is already hurting many taxpayers in the district. Prudent budgeting, we feel, will continue to attract families to Chappaqua and Millwood, and will encourage a healthy real estate market.
Please contact us if you would like to receive e-mails alerts.
Judy McGrath*, co-chair
Elinor Griffith
Ali Klein
Larry Smith*
Tom Weaver
* Also on the School Board's Budget Advisory Committee
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Next Year’s Adopted Budget
- $111,448,488*
- 1.88% budget inc.
- 2.11% tax inc.
Our goal:
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10 Numbers You Need to Know
2.11% tax increase: The adopted 2011-12 school budget is $111,448,000, a budget increase of 1.88%. The tax increase will run 2.11%, given the use of $4.25 million in Reserve Funds.
Double: Without major adjustments to salaries and benefits, and changes to Albany’s mandates on pensions, our school budget could double again in less than ten years. Between 2000 and the current year, it has almost doubled: $57.7 million to $109.4 today. Last spring School Board member Gregg Bresner estimated the budget could increase 61% in the next five years alone.
55%: An estimated 55% of households have no children in school. Thus, the majority of school taxes are paid by people without children in the school system.
$26,500: Average cost of educating a child in Chappaqua
4,136: total schoolchildren, 51 students less than last year
1850+: One of the measures of our school system is SAT scores, along with college admission. There has been no significant change in SATs, where students consistently score 600 or higher on each of the three sections, despite almost doubling of the budget since 2000.
$111,000: Estimated average salary for a Chappaqua teacher, up from $104,000 last year. Total teacher compensation is about $150,000+, including $40,000 (est) for health and pension benefits. That’s with all school holidays off, an additional 25 days for illness, personal days and religious holidays, and summers free. And don’t forget the pension system: teachers can retire after 25 years and receive a guaranteed defined-benefit pension.
75%: Employee salaries and benefits account for approximately 75% of the total budget; the vast majority is teacher pay/benefits.
3%: Teachers contribute only 3% of their salary to their pension plans annually for the first ten years of employment. In return, they receive a fixed-benefit pension for life.
To print out a PDF version of this document, please click here.
A 60% SCHOOL TAX INCREASE BY 2015???
NOW IS THE TIME TO ACTIVELY ENGAGE ALL STAKEHOLDERS IN OUR COMMUNITY
Dear Editor:
The Chappaqua Central School District (CCSD) Board at ts April 20th meeting adopted a budget increase of 1.9% for the 2010-11 school year, which represents a tax increase of 2.32% and a spending increase of at least 3.3% over 2009-2010 figures.
While these increase may seem low compared to the recent past, they maintain the ever-increasing spending trend while enrollment declines and student performance remains consistently high.
Over the last 10 years the increase in the school budget has been 90% from $57.7 million (2000-01) to $109.4 million (2010-11).
School Board Member Gregg Bresner presented datat at the April 20th meeting showing that if major cost-savings and changes to state-mandated expenses are not made, school taxes will be 60% higher by 2015-16 -- for a projected budget of $160.6 million*.
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For the latest on Chappaqua schools, go to
"Press"
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Teachers Contract, Now Amended
We appreciates the School Board’s efforts with the teacher contract amendments and their recent record on reducing school tax increases in the last two years: a 0% tax increase for 2009-10 and a 2.37% tax increase for 2010-11.
However, we believe that the result of the amended teachers contract accomplishes too little and gives the community the false sense that the Chappaqua School District financial situation is now all right....
Read our entire February 4 letter with facts on the amended teachers contract.
Chappaqua, We Have a Problem
Read analysis given to the CCSB Financial Advisory Board
Click to read and print PDF
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School Board Calendar
Meetings at Horace Greeley High School, 8:15 pm
March 1 Board meeting/work session(Curriculum/Technology)
March 15 Board meeting (Spec Ed./Athletics)
March 29 Board meeting/work Session (Oper.Maint/Noninstructional)
April 5 Budget Work Session (Revenue/Tax rates)
April 12, 2011 Board meeting -- Adopt Budget
May 3, 2011 Budget Hearing
May 17, 2011 Budget Vote (Greeley High School)
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Resources
Chappaqua Central School District:
- website, click here
- Email: Board@ccsd.ws
- Phone: 914-238-7200
- Fax: 914-238-7218
New Castle Community Media Center:
- To see recent School Board meetings, go to "VOD" or "video on demand" and search "Chappaqua Central School District" after clicking here
PTA:
- Click for PTA news: chappaquapta.net
See Through New York:
- SeeThroughNY.net gives comparisons of NY public employees salary benefits, including teacher contracts. Go to “Contracts” and type in “Chappaqua”
Empire Center of New York Public Policy
- "New York's Exploding Pension Costs" and "Iceberg Ahead" (on retiree health benefits)
NewCastleNow.org:
- NewCastleNow.org has local coverage of school board meeting
The Journal News:
- LoHud.com: read in the Journal News about Chappaqua and other school board deliberations in Westchester (use the search function)
