I see where you're coming from. But I think the issue is that (1) Long Branch is losing their Abbot funding now before its new tax base is established or its standards particularly improved; and (2) I don't think the State would calculate a municipalities need based on the voluntary choice to exempt a portion of its tax base from school education (If it did every municipality would offer them immediately.). The Abbot decision is a judicial mandate (Examples in NYC include: "Jiggetts" relief for families that can't pay their rent and judicial oversight of the NYC Homeless accommodations). Typically Judicial Mandates fail and are found to be unworkable after some number of years. So they are dropped long before the standards sought in the decision are reached. This appears to be the case in Long Branch. We can expect the same treatment here in Asbury. It will certainly mean a tax hike if that's the case. Ironically, real estate tax reform is on a collision course with judicial mandates such as Abbot and the former is fast becoming the hotter issue. So in the case of Asbury that may mean higher real estate taxes.
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On
Behalf Of bluebishop82
Sent: Friday, May 13, 2005 3:48 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [AsburyPark] Re: Abbot Funding cuts....
Mark: My primary point is that Abbott funding was made a
constitutional right for the kids in districts that lack funds, so I
wouldn't worry about the state scaling back the funding - they have
to give it; the Supreme Court made it mandatory - the state can't
refuse. I thought it was a nutty decision and still do, but it helps
places like AP because we get paid.
I concede your point that if Asbury becomes more solvent,
theoretically we could start loosing Abbott funding, but that is
supposed to happen. You want that to happen. Better a thriving AP
that takes care of itself then a languishing AP that needs state
aid.
Now I'm no expert on the Abbott funding formula, but I assume (so I
concede I could be dead wrong here) that if the Ocean was not tax
abated, that extra tax money would be used against he Abbott
formula, and we would lose Abbott money sooner than later when the
condos come online. It appears to me that with the abatements, we
get cheaper condos to purchase and keep the Abbott money longer.
Isn't that the best of both worlds? Wish we could get the opinion
of someone who knows the funding formula on this board so we could
know for sure.
As for voting down school budgets - it doesn't matter (IMHO) what
the status of state funding is, $18K per year is just too much
money; we can be thriftier than that for the poor results we are
getting.
As for Dan's idea, it is interesting, but I understand the school
board to be an arm of State government, so I don't believe we could
combine it with the City government (again I'm no expert there, but
it's just a thought).
--- In [email protected], "Tyler, Mark" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> BB82 - Not sure I understand what you're saying. The state is
covering our
> education nut and when they drop out we have to cover it without
the help of
> the ocean-front tax base. Voting "no" on the school budget won't
be a
> solution because that budget could never be low enough to avoid a
large tax
> increase. The Asbury Park kids have right to the public education
> consistent with No Child Left Behind mandates as well as the state
laws that
> include the Abbott ruling. Even if spending is cut back to the
point you're
> dreaming about I think we would still have a sizeable increase.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]]On
> Behalf Of bluebishop82
> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2005 2:49 PM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: [AsburyPark] Re: Abbot Funding cuts....
>
>
> I understand you. Another option too is to vote no on the school
> budget and force them to spend less. $18K a year is rediculous.
Other
> schools with good grades are spending about $8 or 9K.
>
> --- In [email protected], "oakdorf" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > While I'm all for every kid having a chance as the next kid
(poor
> > district = rich district) and I am willing to throw a few extra
$
> each
> > week to see that way - from my various posts over the years -
the
> > imbalance is becoming really absurd - therefore the amount of
STATE
> > funding has to be re-examined. So if the STATE funding is
reduced -
> > taxes will eventually be increased. IF.
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Yahoo! Groups Links
- To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/
- To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
- Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
