Archive: News

Taxpayers pay most of the school property tax levy.  The rest is paid by PILOTs (Payment In Lieu Of Taxes).  If more money comes in from PILOTs, taxpayers pay a smaller percent of the levy.  If less comes from PILOTs, taxpayers have to make up that amount.  Superintendent Stephen Grimm told a packed room Monday that the Lansing Central School District is looking at $1 million in cuts for the 2012-20123 school year even if the tax rate goes up by 6.5%.  Almost half of that tax rise comes from the reduction of the value of the AES Cayuga power plant PILOT.  And Grimm said that the district will be looking at another $1 million in cuts next year.

"I'll tell you right up front I don't want to cut that million dollars," Grimm said after a detailed budget presentation.  "I think we need more than a 3.5% combined levy.  Which means that I think we need more than a 6.5% tax rate."

That is bad news for taxpayers.  Reductions in state and federal aid, the floundering economy, and unfunded New York State mandates have wreaked havoc with school budgets across the state.  For Lansing taxpayers the reduction in the power plant value has tipped the school budget over the edge of the so-called 'funding cliff'.  Board member David Dittman blamed the 'tax and cap' policies that force AES Cayuga to purchase carbon offsets.

"You're paying a higher electric bill because of 'tax and cap'," he said.  "In New York State our electric rates are abut 58% greater than the average electric ate in the country.  On top of these higher electric rates your plant is going bankrupt and its value is going down $26 million this year.  Which will come out of your tax levy.  And you will have to make up for that loss in revenue of about a half million dollars in your taxes."

Grimm had even harsher words for Governor Andrew Cuomo, saying that Cuomo is instituting onerous mandates that make him look good to voters, but actually make a bad situation worse.  Grimm said Cuomo's teacher evaluation plan takes three times as long to administer than one the district has had in place for years.  As a result Grimm has had to attend meetings that took him away from his district work eight times so far, and each principal has been out of the district four times.

"It's like he doesn't have any clue about what's going on, and I don't think he does.  It's a great thing for political science majors to study because he can do that and get approval ratings that are off the charts," Grimm said.  "Two percent tax cap!  Our 'two percent tax cap' is like seven percent.  With the AES reductions we can charge eight percent and be under the two percent tax cap.  Go get 'em Andy!  It means nothing.  It doesn't make any sense.  It does nothing for kids."

When the PILOT was first negotiated between AES Cayuga and Tompkins County the value of the plant was set at $142 million, and was set to rise over a period of years.  Because of the crashing economy the PILOT was almost immediately renegotiated, and then renegotiated again.  The value that will impact the 2012-2013 school levy is set at $86.5 million, and two years later it will be set at only $60 million.  This year that means taxpayers will have to pay $500,000 more of the levy than last year on top of any rises needed to maintain the school budget.

Grimm said that simply to maintain what the school does this year that will mean an additional 3.5% tax rate rise (for a total of 6.5% including the 3% necessitated by the drop in the PILOT) and a million dollars in cuts to staff and programs.

Grimm presented a number of documents showing how reductions are identified, and presented a very preliminary list of cuts.  He showed an enrollment chart that is used to determine how many teachers are needed in a given year, a high school social studies class size analysis as an example of how that is calculated for the complicated high school schedule, and presentations explaining why the gap exists and specifically where tax rises will come from.

He stressed that the 'Reductions List' is just a draft at a point that is early in the budget season, and noted that with more input from the community the list will change over the coming months.  He said some items targeted for cuts now may not be on the list by the time the school board sets the levy this Spring.

Proposed cuts include a full time elementary school teacher, a psychologist, a cleaner, and a high school attendance clerk.  Modified sports would be outsourced to the Town Recreation Department, and the high school Business law section would be eliminated.  Half an enrichment teacher position would be gone, as well as a district-wide core curriculum leader, Director of Technology, a middle school ELA teacher, Family and Consumer Sciences teacher, part of a health teacher position, a library clerk, a math teacher, reductions in a microcomputer specialist position, 5th and 6th grade art teacher, instrumental and vocal music in the middle school and other music cuts, eliminating at least one character-building program, cutting .8 of a social studies teacher, a special education teacher, a summer school program, swimming instruction, and teacher aides.  The list, along with the other presentations, are posted on the school Web site.

Anticipating public outcry, administrators added extra chairs to the high school library, and while most of those seats were filled, not one person spoke in the community input part of the meeting.  Instead they listened to the bad news about the budget and had a first look at potential program and personnel cuts.

Board member Christine Iacobucci advocated a community meeting for the public to ask questions and offer suggestions.  Other board members said they want ideas and input from the community about what is important to taxpayers in the district and their suggestions for cuts and additional taxes.  Grimm agreed that community input is vitally important, but said that meetings are already scheduled later in the year, and that to have one without a specific purpose and more complete information would be premature.  He said that the information will continue to be posted on the Web site, and those without Web access can call the district office to obtain copies.

School Board President Anne Drake said that in the past some people had suggested putting a budget up for a vote that does not include cuts so that voters can decide whether or not they wat to bear the tax burden.  She said the board should not do that.  Some bord members suggested coming up with more potential cuts of $2 million so that they can be prioritized by school officials and the community according to what the community deems important. 

Grimm said that budget meetings scheduled in March will give district officials more time to refine suggestions for cuts and get more accurate financial information, as well as to gather public input via the Web site and Friday 'focus forums' that are held for various stakeholder groups within the district, but open to everyone.

"I want to give people something concrete to think about and respond to," he said.  "If it comes down to having to make hard choices we want to know what a lot of people think before we cut this thing instead of that thing."

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