List of Local Legislators
Please click on the email link of each of the following representatives, then cut and paste the letter below into the body of the email, Put "State Aid" in the subject line, and send our legislators the message that we need their help in restoring State aid to acceptable levels on Long Island.
1. Dean G. Skelos, State Senate Majority Leader: skelos@nysenate.gov
2. Sheldon Silver, State Assembly Majority Leader: speaker@assembly.state.ny.us
3. John J. Flanagan, Chairman of Senate Education Committee: flanagan@senate.state.ny.us
4. State Senator Lee M. Zeldin (District # 3) : zeldin@nysenate.gov
5. State Senator Owen H. Johnson (District # 4): ojohnson@nysenate.gov
6. State Assemblyman Philip M. Boyle (District # 8): BoyleP@assembly.state.ny.us
7. State Assemblyman Alfred C. Graf (District # 5): grafa@assembly.state.ny.us
Dear Legislator:
As a community member, citizen and taxpayer of the East Islip School District, I am writing to express my concern over what the enacted 2% tax cap, coupled with loss of State Aid, will mean to our district. Our rich tradition of excellence in education dates back to 1857, when the first recorded school building was built in a small clearing in the woods between East Islip and Youngsport (Great River). The townspeople of that time demonstrated a commitment to educate the children of their community.
That same desire to provide an education for the children of East Islip is being threatened by decisions made at the state level. The enacted 2% property tax cap comes after two years of cuts to education aid to our district. Additionally, our taxpayers continue to be burdened with costly unfunded mandates including, among others, Academic Intervention Services (AIS), requirements of the new Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) and internal auditing services. This – along with increases in health and pension costs, requirements to pay salary step increases under the Triborough Amendment and no significant mandate relief to curb costs – is a formula for the decline of New York State’s public schools.
In order to adopt a budget with a 2% tax levy increase, our school district will be forced to draw down on reserves and dismantle the precious educational program we have loyally sacrificed to preserve. Our school board and administration will be faced with the unenviable task of reducing costs through reductions in services provided to students, families and community groups, which may include increases in class size as well as the loss of sports, music, art, kindergarten and other vital non-mandated subjects and activities. Additionally, there may be increases in costs for community groups to use district facilities. There is no doubt that the results of these reductions will be job loss, program loss, economic decline and outraged voters. Most importantly, our students will lose educational experiences designed to promote lifelong learning and prepare them for college and career opportunities after graduation from high school.
I respectfully request that you work with your colleagues to restore State Aid to our district while at the same time significantly reducing unfunded mandates. Over the past two years, our State Aid has declined by 12.37% ($4,321,756). Over the same two-year period, our tax rate increase has gone from 1.55% to 6.98%.
As your constituent, I hope that you will take my concerns into consideration and support a more equitable funding plan for the East Islip School District. Please represent the needs of our community in Albany.
Yours truly,