The Official Blog of the New York State Council of School Superintendents
The New York State Council of School Superintendents is the professional association of over 800 superintendents and other school district leaders. The Council helps its members succeed through advocacy and professional development.
The superintendents' vantage point on education policy involves balancing what schoolchildren need and what taxpayers can afford, and requires translating statewide and national policies into local practices that can work for the communities they serve.
October 11th, 2011 by Robert Lowry
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Category: Finance, Leadership, Legislation, Teachers | No Comments »
October 3rd, 2011 by Robert Lowry
In this post:
Category: Finance, Leadership, Legislation, National Policy | 1 Comment »
September 28th, 2011 by Robert Lowry
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Category: Finance, Legislation, Teachers | No Comments »
September 27th, 2011 by Robert Lowry
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Category: Finance, Legislation, Politics, Standards & Assessments | No Comments »
September 24th, 2011 by Robert Lowry
The 2011-12 state budget took the unusual step of enacted a two-year appropriation for School Aid, covering both the current and 2012-13 school years.
Under the enacted state budget, School Aid for 2012-13 is projected to increase by $805 million, or 4.1 percent.
Is this a ceiling or a floor, and whichever it is, how solid is it? Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Finance, State Budget | 1 Comment »
July 29th, 2011 by Robert Lowry
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Category: Achievement Gap, Finance, Standards & Assessments, Teachers | No Comments »
July 22nd, 2011 by Robert Lowry
Speaking to a group of graduate students last week, one asked me how state government justifies its interventions in school district finances given its chronic tardiness in passing its budget.
I had to point out they did get it done on time this time.
I added that whatever my misgivings about some of Governor Cuomo’s initiatives, he has demonstrated a capacity to get things done. Legislative accomplishments have been widely publicized. Tentative collective bargaining agreements with state unions are another example. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Finance | 1 Comment »
July 15th, 2011 by Robert Lowry
Some news on tax revenues, in New York, and across the country
Category: Finance, State Budget | No Comments »
July 15th, 2011 by Robert Lowry
A couple items on pension issues — the New York Times reported that reducing pension costs would be a top priority for Governor Cuomo next year; State Comptroller DiNapoli announced that state and local Employees Retirement System had a second straight year of strong earnings on its investments. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Finance, Legislation | No Comments »
July 13th, 2011 by Robert Lowry
As expected, Governor Andrew Cuomo vetoed legislation that would have permitted school districts to issue debt to finance increases in their required Teachers Retirement System (TRS) contributions over a 15-year period.
Pension and health insurance costs are two of the biggest cost drivers for schools now. Our estimate is that in each of the last two years, overall school spending increases were at the same level as what pension costs alone would have driven, suggesting that schools froze all their other spending on balance.
Yet we anticipate that very few school districts would have used the borrowing option had it been approved. I am aware of only one district (Yonkers) which was counting on the legislation in its budget. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Finance, Legislation | No Comments »