Our Schools, Our Money: Continuing the discussion
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- January
- 18
According to our bosses at The Hall Monitor, this week’s five-part series Our Schools, Our Money, was a hit with readers in print and online. The stories, which explored the links between student achievement, school performance, school property taxes and spending, were among the most viewed news on LoHud.com each day. We got lots of comments and readers showed particular interest in our 11 school-related databases, which included Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, details on school finances and administrator and teacher salaries.
The series concluded yesterday. Now that you’ve had a chance to read all of the stories, let us know what you think and what you’d like to see us cover in the future. You can comment on this blog or visit our forums here. You can also catch up on pieces of the package you might have missed at LoHud.com or visit SchoolMatters.com to download a copy of A Data User’s Guide to School Performance, Home Values & Property Taxes in the Lower Hudson Valley.
The Hall Monitor would like to thank all of the schools, teachers, parents, students and experts who participated in the series and our readers for their interest and comments. We will continue to keep a close eye on our local schools and your tax dollars.
Below, you’ll find video of an appearance of that reporters Dwight R. Worley, Diana Costello and Randi Weiner made on RNN’s Richard French Live yesterday to discuss the series. Enjoy.
This entry was posted
on Friday, January 18th, 2008 at 11:35 am by Dwight R. Worley.
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The following is from an e-mail sent to the Mahopac school community…
A message from: Penny Swift, President, Mahopac Board of Education
On Tuesday, January 15, 2008, The Journal News published a third article in a series of five regarding schools in the Westchester/Putnam/Rockland communities. The article which appeared on the front page stated the opinion of a Mahopac resident as it relates to the “administrator’s salary�, administrative costs and annual tax increases.
I recognize that every resident is entitled to offer their opinion. However, I also feel that it is incumbent as President of the Board of Education, that I provide you with the most accurate information possible. It is in this spirit which I offer the following factual information.
I am assuming that the individual interviewed in the article referring to the administrator was referencing the Superintendent of Schools. The Superintendent of School’s salary for the 2007-2008 School Year is $218,281 not $300,000.
In referring to administrative costs, it was indicated that every principal makes over $140,000. The factual information is that the range of salary for principals is $129,680 to $149,406. The Mahopac Central School District has carefully studied administrative costs over the past several years. Cost comparisons, as prepared by the Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES Contract Analysis service, indicates that the Mahopac Central School District has some of the lowest administrative costs in the region. Building administration costs have consistently been in the bottom five (5) of the forty plus districts reported in the study.
The article goes on to state that every year there is an 8, 10 or 12% increase in school taxes. This is not true. The composite tax increase for Putnam Valley and Carmel for the Mahopac Central School District has been as follows for the past three years.
05-06 7.11%
06-07 .42%
07-08 .98%.
These are the actual composite tax increases for the Mahopac Central School District for the past three years.
Thank you for taking time to read this communication. It is important to the Board of Education that Mahopac voters have factual information.