Dear Members of the Croton-Harmon School Community:
At the December 14, 2015 meeting of the Croton-Harmon Board of Education, the following resolution was passed unanimously:
Gap Elimination Adjustment Resolution
WHEREAS the cost involved in providing an appropriate public education to every student in New York State, as mandated in the New York State Constitution, continues to increase due to factors beyond the control of local school boards, including (but not limited to), increased cost of external services required to meet state requirements, and the ever-increasing cost of teacher and employee retirement plans and contractual benefits; and
WHEREAS the unprecedentedly low inflation rate this year means that the New York State Tax Levy Cap for the 2016-17 year will likely be close to 0%, allowing little or no increase in overall school tax revenues; and
WHEREAS the aforementioned increasing mandated costs are in no way exempted or accounted in the calculation of the annual Tax Levy Cap; and
WHEREAS, since its inception, $8.8 billion statewide, and $403 million in Westchester and Putnam Counties, has been lost to the State under the Gap Elimination Adjustment and the Croton-Harmon Union Free School District alone has lost over $3 million; and
WHEREAS New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli projects a $3 billion New York State budget surplus for 2015;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Education of the Croton-Harmon Union Free School District calls upon Governor Andrew Cuomo to include both repeal of the Gap Elimination Adjustment and an increase in school Foundation Aid in his Executive Budget; and
RESOLVED that the Board of Education of the Croton-Harmon Union Free School District calls upon the New York State Assembly and New York State Senate to actively support Gap Elimination Adjustment repeal and significantly increased foundation aid in the coming budget negotiations; and
RESOLVED that the Board of Education of the Croton-Harmon Union Free School District calls upon Governor Andrew Cuomo, the New York State Assembly and New York State Senate to oppose the adoption of any budget which does not include Gap Elimination Adjustment repeal and significantly increased foundation aid; and
FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Education of the Croton-Harmon Union free School District calls upon all of the members of the Croton-Harmon community to contact their elected representatives in Albany to demand immediate action to repeal the Gap Elimination Adjustment and to increase foundation aid to all school districts statewide.
The Board of Education of the Croton-Harmon Union Free School District directs the District Clerk to send a copy of this resolution to:
• Andrew Cuomo, the Governor of the State of New York • Carl Heastie, the Speaker of the New York State Assembly• John Flanagan, the Majority Leader of the New York State Senate• Catherine Nolan, Assemblywoman, Chair, Committee on Education• Sandra Galef, Assemblywoman• Terrence Murphy, State Senator• Lisa Davis, Executive Director - Westchester Putnam School Boards Association
Sincerely,
The Croton-Harmon Board of Education
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