Top school administrators were concerned about what Gov. Eliot Spitzer's consideration of capping school taxes will mean for their districts.
Spitzer proposed a commission to study the issue in his State of the State address Wednesday. The governor said he was willing to change his previous position after school taxes continued their 7-percent average rise last year despite a record state revenue increase.
Several talked about the issue in the days after the speech.
The proposal was "a big blow," said Unadilla Valley Central School Superintendent Robert Mackey.
"I am concerned that he doesn't think we already make tough decisions (to hold the line on spending)," he said.
To keep budgets down each year, superintendents have to look at such areas as personnel and programs, and often make cuts. Most schools in the area were well below the state tax hike average, Mackey said.
Some of Spitzer's comments indicated, to Mackey, that he was not aware of the work that area superintendents do. For instance, the tax rate at Unadilla Valley increased 3 percent last year, under the previous superintendent.
This occurred at a time when he had to use 75 percent of the increased aid for new programs because the school had to sign Spitzer's Contract for Excellence.
Mackey said he hopes superintendents and school board members are represented on any commission formed.
Milford school Superintendent Peter Livshin said, "there are a lot of questions that need to be answered" about Spitzer's plans.
"Is the state going to step in and take over the function of the local board of education and say how much we can spend?" he asked. "If the state picked up the difference between the cap and the budget, how are you saving money?"
Unless unfunded mandate relief is part of the plan, it would be hard to meet increases in such areas as fuel and employee benefits, while educating students, he said.
"We are not spending money frivolously here," he said. "We are providing a sound basic education. ... It's frustrating when health care and fuel are increasing more than 4 percent."
He has met with local legislators to discuss how to make the state aid formula more equal so that downstate schools don't get a larger share of aid dollars. He said he would "love to work" with the commission on this issue.
Morris Superintendent Michael Virgil said it is hard to put the governor's speech into context without knowing what his budget proposal will be. The school district was able to keep the tax hike to less than 2 percent last year.
More needs to be known about paying for unfunded mandates, he said. For instance, the new auditing requirement will add $25,000 to the budget and about 1 percent to the tax levy.
"As we pile on mandates, it doesn't lead to a quality education," he said.
Last year's increase allowed the school to catch up in meeting obligations, he said, but "it didn't put us in a position where we can add anything substantial."
The school was able to start a prekindergarten but that was not fully funded, he said.
"It's noble rhetoric,'' he said. ``But we have to wait and see."
