New Your State School Boards Association
One interesting question. Two captivating minutes.
Check back each week to view the latest episode of the NYSSBA Mailbag!

News Releases

Overall, 95% of school budgets pass

FOR RELEASE: May 22, 2013

CONTACT: David Albert
(518) 783-3716 or (518) 320-2221 cell
On Twitter: @nyschoolboards

98% passage rate for school districts within tax cap; 25% passage rate for districts exceeding cap

New York State voters approved 95.5 percent of school district budgets on Tuesday, May 21, according to an analysis by the New York State School Boards Association.

“Residents in communities across this state stood strong once again in support of public education,” said NYSSBA Executive Director Timothy G. Kremer.  “The high level of voter support for school budgets speaks to the importance of public education. We appreciate the trust that voters place in our school board members and educators.”

Initial statewide results gathered by NYSSBA indicate voters have passed 644 school district budgets. The number of budgets defeated was 32. NYSSBA was still awaiting results for nine districts.

In the second year of the state’s property tax cap, 642 districts, or 96 percent, were within their maximum allowable tax levy increases under the cap and required only a simple majority to pass their budgets. Of those districts, 98.3 percent passed.

Twenty-eight districts, or 4 percent, had budgets that exceeded the tax cap and required a 60 percent “supermajority” to pass. Of those districts, 25 percent passed their budgets. 

Read the entire news release>>
 
More News Releases>
 

The New York State School Boards Association has endorsement the New York State Association of School Business Official’s new p-Card.

NYSASBO LOGO
P-Card

NYSASBO Purchasing Card Program
This program is unique, competitive and fully customizable as a benefit to NYSASBO School District Members. Along with the numerous other benefits of the NYSASBO p-card listed below, comes a competitive rebate program just for purchasing goods and services you’re already using in your district.

This program is a tool to streamline the purchasing process through the use of technology. The reduction in purchase orders and paper checks result in a savings of time and money. NYSASBO members have the opportunity to join this no-fees program, which is currently used by over650 school districts across 14 states.

What is a p-Card?
A p-Card is similar to a credit card without a revolving line of credit, can have set limits to control transactions and has authorization parameters that can be managed 24/7 through a secure web portal by district administration.

Advantages of NYSASBO’s p-Card program:

  • Eliminates the cost and hassle of negotiating a purchasing card contract
  • Provides a tested, easy-to-use program with no startup costs or annual fees to the district
  • Combines purchasing power to provide a larger rebate than could be obtained with a stand-alone district contract
  • Allows your school district to ensure adequate controls and proper audit trails
  • Creates a user group/support network not obtainable with multiple programs and different contracts
  • Provides excellent training and user group support

For more information about the NYSABO p-Card, visit www.nysasbo.org or click here. http://www.nysasbo.org/page/nysasbo-p-card-program-64.html

Exceeding tax cap proves big risk

On Board Online • May 27, 2013

Budget votes

By Cathy Woodruff
Senior writer

Raising property taxes beyond the state-imposed cap was a much tougher sell for school budget voters this year.

Of 28 districts that sought to exceed the cap, only a quarter won the needed 60 percent supermajority approval. Last year, 48 districts sought voter permission to exceed their caps, and 60 percent received approval in May voting. Cornwall was only two votes shy of success, and other close losses in override votes were Elmira Heights, General Brown, Newcomb and South Seneca.

Newcomb was shy just 16 votes of the supermajority and one of 14 districts whose budgets would have passed had they needed only a simple majority. “It is frustrating when you’ve got a majority but not this number that New York State created of a supermajority,” Newcomb Superintendent Clark “Skip” Hults told On Board. “It’s an arbitrary percentage. But our job is to go back and find a number the community will support.”

Read the entire article>>
 
More On Board Online Stories>>
 

2013 Everett R. Dyer Award for Distinguished School Board Service

Distinguished Service Award Guidelines

Distinguished Service Award Nomination Form

Advocacy Resources

         2013 Post Budget Legislative Priorities

 

Annual Business Meeting

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2013

Appointed delegates from member school districts convene to address, debate and deliberate vital issues facing public education in New York State.  Help shape the 2014 advocacy agenda while providing direction to one of the state’s most influential educational organizations.

Resolutions Resolution Kit

The Resolutions kit is designed to guide you through the resolutions process in the event that your district wishes to submit a resolution for consideration at NYSSBA’s 2013 Annual Business Meeting in Rochester.  It provides you timelines, structure and suggestions for the appropriate focus of resolutions.  Thank you for participating in this important advocacy effort.

All resolutions received by the Thursday, August 1, 2013 deadline will be compiled in the 2013 Proposed Bylaw Amendments and Resolutions booklet, which will be distributed electronically to all member boards.

Reports

NYSSBA Report Tackles School Violence

Report Tackles School Violence

NYSSBA Report Tackles School Violence
Focus on Mental Health in Schools

Will tougher gun control laws and police officers in schools help improve safety – or must schools also address the mental health and social well-being of students in order to reduce school violence in the long term?

That question is answered in NYSSBA’s new report, “Tending to Our Youth.”

The report recommends specific actions that school districts can take to increase school safety, including ways to identify possible warning signs of students at-risk and provide support to students who do not feel that they belong in the school community.

Full Report (8 pages - 884 KB) 
Read the entire report>>
 
More Reports>>
 

Daily Clips

Friday, May 24, 2013

Over 2/3 of tax cap overrides fail
Albany Times Union

Few New York school districts beat the property tax cap in this year's voting
Syracuse Post Standard (NYSSBA cited)

Kingston school district art supporters object to planned changes in middle school
Kingston Daily Freeman

Here are the top education stories found in today's NYSSBA E-clips. If you're a NYSSBA member, you can subscribe to E-Clips to receive education news from over 26 newspapers each day. Sign-up TODAY!

 

Upcoming Events

New Member Orientation to Maximize School Board Performance
Date: May 29, 2013
Time: 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
More>>
 
13th Annual School Attorney Law Conference
Date: May 31 - June 2, 2013
 
New School Board Member Academy - Latham
Date: May 31 - June 1, 2013
More>>
 
Voting for Your Board Officers: Does Seniority Matter?
Date: June 6, 2013
Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
More>>
 
More Events>>

New York State School Boards Association | 24 Century Hill Drive, Suite 200 | Latham, New York 12110-2125
(518) 783-0200 phone | (518) 783-0211 fax | info@nyssba.org
YouTube FaceBook Twitter


Copyright © 2013 New York State School Boards Association - All Rights Reserved