October 9, 2023
FROM STEUBEN COUNTY DEMOCRAT CHAIR SHAWN HOGAN: This is a no brainer and puts small city school districts on par with all other districts in the State of New York. I call upon all voters to support.
FROM THE NEW YORK STATE ASSOCIATION OF SMALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS:
Voters to Decide on Proposal Number One – Constitutional Amendment on Repeal of Debt Ceiling for Small City School Districts That Would Bring Equity to Small City School Districts: Ability to Operate Under the Same Debt Limit as all Other Non-City Districts
Voters throughout New York State will decide on November 7 whether 57 small city school districts can increase the amount they can borrow for capital projects from 5% to 10% of their real property values. If approved, this referendum would level the playing field between large cities, suburban and rural school districts, and allow small cities to improve the quality of their school buildings by borrowing funds for needed capital improvements at the time they are needed instead of parceling out a series of smaller projects over a number of years.
Many of New York’s 57 small city school districts must break up needed construction and improvement projects into a series of small projects, spread over many years to remain under their debt limit. A 10% debt limit will allow projects of a larger scope and scale to be completed sooner with better financial efficiency.
According to Robert Breidenstein, Executive Director of the New York State Association of Small City School Districts, both houses of the legislature passed bills last session to allow for this change upon a successful November vote. “Repeal of the 5% constitutional debt ceiling for small city school districts and replacement of that limit with a 10% statutory limit under the local finance law is essential to the continued integrity of our urban school infrastructure,” said Mr. Breidenstein. “Approval of this referendum will be an important step toward treating small city schools fairly and toward putting them on an equal footing with central school districts.” He added that failure to approve the referendum will impair the quality of small city programs and facilities to the great detriment of their students and communities.
Collectively, small city school districts serve the educational needs of nearly two-thirds of the inner-city children outside New York City and are comprised of districts with an average combined wealth ratio which is approximately 49% below the state average. It is notable that this disparity has more than doubled in twenty years when the small city school districts’ combined wealth ratio was approximately 20 % below the state average.
Small City School Districts in New York State include Albany, Amsterdam, Auburn, Batavia, Beacon, Binghamton, Canandaigua, Cohoes, Corning, Cortland, Dunkirk, Elmira, Fulton, Geneva, Glen Cove, Glens Falls, Gloversville, Hornell, Hudson, Ithaca, Jamestown, Johnstown, Kingston, Lackawanna, Little Falls, Lockport, Long Beach, Mechanicville, Middletown, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Newburgh, Niagara Falls, North Tonawanda, Norwich, Ogdensburg, Olean, Oneida, Oneonta, Oswego, Peekskill, Plattsburgh, Port Jervis, Poughkeepsie, Rensselaer, Rome, Rye, Salamanca, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, Tonawanda, Troy, Utica, Vernon Verona Sherrill, Watertown, Watervliet and White Plains.
