This year, more than ever before, area residents have an obligation to help guide their school districts as budgets are formed.
That's because, for the first time, district officials and school-board members are working under a mandated tax-increase ceiling as they prepare their 2012-13 spending plans.
New York state last year capped property-tax increases at 2 percent. Local leaders struggled under the new marching orders as county, town and village budgets were prepared. In the North Country, most municipalities performed admirably, with their budgets coming in under the cap. Essex County was a notable exception, one of only a handful of governments locally that voted to override this popular law, which was conceived out of taxpayer frustration.
Now it is the schools' turn. They face the same challenges they have for years, among those state mandates for which no funding was provided, rising pension and health-insurance costs and inadequate state operating aid.
But they also face something the municipalities didn't: the ability of taxpayers to quash the budget in a public vote. If the schools don't come in under the cap — despite all the challenges — voters have much more control over the outcome. And taxpayers haven't been showing much willingness to spend extra, even for as valuable a reason as the education of children.
Sixty percent of the people who pull levers in the voting booth in May must agree to a tax levy of higher than 2 percent for it to pass.
The smart schools are already moving to involve district stakeholders — the name given to all the varying groups that have a vested interest in a school community: parents, students, staff, businesspeople, older residents with no kids in school, parents of special-needs students — the list goes on and on.
Plattsburgh City School District hosted a public forum last week on the budget. Nearly 50 people attended, most of them invited by the district to give input. They sat around tables and discussed priorities and problems, concerns and compliments.
Other school districts are also holding events to get residents to participate in budget conversations. Peru Central School, for example, hosted one already and has another planned for Monday, Feb. 13. Beekmantown Central School has scheduled a forum for Tuesday, Feb. 14.
The school boards are taking the initiative; now it is up to residents to make the effort to share their thoughts. They have to actually go to the schools and participate.
And just issuing a sweeping "cut everything" declaration is unfair. Residents should truly evaluate how much they are willing to spend to provide the children of the community a quality education and give guidance on where any cuts should be made.
Then it is up to the school boards to listen — and act as directed.
