Mandate Reforms

By Karen Visser

This is not going to be an easy task. In this economic climate we have a decline in state aid, unfunded mandates, and the issues of pension and retirement funds for our public school employees. Many are feeling the pain of high and rising property taxes. All these issues raise the operating costs of our schools which leave fewer funds for the instruction for our students.

However, mandate reform will not be an easy task. The Board of Education is not a legislative body. While frustrating to all of us, our elected representatives in Albany, as a matter of law, must be the ones to advance the necessary reforms many of us are seeking. But as a Board Member, I can take a leadership role and solicit help from the community. In Chappaqua, we are fortunate to have a generous, energetic and talented group of residents. Each member of our community has a strong voice and collectively I hope that we can spur action in Albany.

During this difficult period, we need to be careful to balance our desire for mandate reform with our town's long-standing commitment to exceptional education. While pushing for mandate reform, we also need to be competitive with respect to teacher wages and benefits with other communities in our area that have similar educational standards to ours. Rash action could precipitate a dangerous cylces of events: talended teachers and staff unwilling to work for our district, prospective residents concerned by our commitment to the future, current residents leaving our community, and ultimately a significant diminution in property values down from the premium levels our community enjoys today by virtue of generations of investment in our school system. We don't want to repeat the mistakes other districts have made by thinking only for the short-term.

We must be resolute in advancing reform, but judicious in making the long-term investments in our schools that benefit our students and community and sustains property values for the principal asset, our homes, of our district's taxpayers.