York Public Schools’ Early Childhood Team is partnering with the Nebraska Department of Education Early Childhood Staff, The Nebraska Children & Family Foundation, Blue Valley Mental Health, Southeast Community Partnership Program, The Child Advocacy Center, The University of Nebraska Lincoln, The Early Training Center & Educational Service Units to bring together an incredible day of learning that focuses on our youngest learners.
The big day is March 4th. The conference will take place from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM in the beautiful, new Holthus Convention Center in York.
Come and join us for the day and learn about research based practices, strategies and topics that are essential to helping our younger learners to be successful.
This conference is designed for early childhood educators, daycare providers, parents, preschool teachers, kindergarten-2nd grade teachers, administrators, health professionals, counselors, and anyone else who is invested in young learners, birth-age 8.
There will be many break out sessions given by outstanding presenters like First Five Nebraska and others. Some of the session topics include:
--Brain-based learning
--Environmental Rating Scales
--Mental Health in our Youngest Children
--Research based curriculums for Preschool Children
--Child Development Research
--Positive Behavior Supports for Early Childhood
--Identifying Trauma Indicators
--Spectrum Disorders (Autism, Aspergers)
--Cultural Intelligence
--Collaborative Team Assessment
--Emotional Coaching
Registration cost is $30 per person and lunch will be provided.
To register, email mnecsregistration@yorkdukes.org & registration forms will be emailed to you.
Deadline for registration is set for February 20, 2015.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
How is Property Tax Relief Coming to York, Nebraska?
Nobody wants to provide property tax relief more than we do. Unfortunately, it looks less and less likely we’re going to have the means to do so despite the numerous politicians that are promising it. Here are some numbers to analyze. Please contact me with ideas, suggestions, concerns, etc.
A LOOK AT THE 2014-15 FISCAL YEAR
This current year of 2014-15, York Public Schools finally is able to function like a “normal” school district. By that, I mean we are able to make a curriculum update without delaying it like we’ve had to do in years past, upgrade some outdated technology, purchase some much needed vehicles to replace two different 18+ year old units; while also adding a little bit to a cash reserve that sits at only 20% of its desired level. In fact, as this fiscal year began, we had less than $690,000 in our general fund opening balance; when it is recommended that a district our size have $3.5 million.
• Our 2014-15 general fund property tax request is $3,316,738 more than it was in 2008-09; for an increase of 49.2% as it currently sits at $10,049,494
• Our 2014-15 state aid is $2,008,442; which is $1,706,367 less than it was in 2008-09; for a decrease of 45.9%
• Our projected total revenue for 2014-15 is $15,400,000; which is $1,640,478 more than 2008-09; for an increase of 11.9% over six years but still less than 2% average growth annually
• Our 2014-15 valuation is $987,905,058; which is $359,064,412 higher than it was in 2008-09; for an increase of 57%
• Our projected total spending for 2014-15 is $15,200,000; which is $1,386,337 more than 2008-09; for an increase of 10% over six years but still just an average annual growth of just 1.6%.
o Much of this spending increase has been on expanding our birth-to-five programming as well as adding sections of Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade to keep our growing class sizes effective
PREVIEWING THE 2015-16 FISCAL YEAR
Our new 2015-16 fiscal year will begin on September 1st. This is the time of year we begin to update projections and plan ahead. We just found out that our state aid is projected to go down $445,000. How are we going to provide property tax relief? If we increase our general fund tax request to only recover the $445,000 we’re losing from state aid, that’s already a 4.4% increase over what we’re asking for in property taxes this year. This would keep our projected revenue for next year the same as it is this year at $15,400,000.
We can try to flat-line our spending (again) by delaying another round of curriculum adoptions, not updating our aging vehicle fleet, getting by with the technology we have, and not adding to our cash reserve. But then what? Do we need to look at cutting staff again? York High School already has 6.5 fewer teachers than it had 10 years ago. York Middle School has 2.5 fewer teachers. We’re practically re-writing the book on doing more with less even though the number of students with special needs that we serve is at an all-time high. Our total enrollment has increased 7% over the past five years as well. How can we provide property tax relief with flat-lined or declining total revenue?
WHY ARE PROPERTY TAXES WITHIN YPS HIGHER THAN NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS?
I’ve been asked a few times over the past year why farm ground within the boundaries of York Public Schools costs more than it does in other school districts. It all comes down to money generated per student. Each school district is unique. The examples I’m comparing to York are Franklin and West Point because I’ve worked for both of those systems and have respect for their communities. Farmers within YPS boundaries will pay much more for their ground than farmers in Franklin and West Point with lower levies but those lower levy districts will still generate much more money per student than York ever will. There are numerous school districts in Nebraska with levies lower than West Point and higher valuations.
• York is able to generate $9,977,790 with their $1.01 levy
o This comes to $7,183 of property tax revenue per student
• York’s levy is maxed out at $1.05 when you factor in our building fund tax request as well
• Franklin is able to generate $3,870,585 with their $0.95 levy
o This comes to $12,607 of property tax revenue per student
• West Point is able to generate $8,809,910 with their $0.85 levy
o This comes to $10,665 of property tax revenue per student
In 2013-14, York’s cost per pupil spending was $11,649 per student. Franklin spent $15,845 per student. West Point spent $12,969 per student. This is just a simple comparison of York and two other high quality school districts in our state using actual, updated data.
LITTLE KNOWN FACTS
• 65% of Nebraska’s school districts don’t receive any equalization aid from the state
• Local Property Taxes make up 48.2% of Nebraska public school districts’ revenue
o The national average is 29%
o In 2013-14, local property taxes accounted for 60.5% of York’s revenue
• State Aid makes up 31.6% of Nebraska public school districts’ revenue
o The national average is 45.5%
o In 2013-14, state aid accounted for just 10% of York’s revenue
• Simply put, this just shows once again the over-reliance Nebraska schools have on local property taxes
WHAT ABOUT DE-VALUING AGRICULTURE LAND TO 65% - WON’T THAT BE A GOOD THING?
Taxing agricultural land at only 65% of its full market value would likely lead to higher property taxes or service cuts for the vast majority of Nebraskans. Reductions to agricultural land valuations lead to significant revenue losses at the local level and for K-12 education, which would not be made up by increases in state aid.
• According to Open Sky, K-12 schools would lose approximately $91 million/year.
• The reduction in local resources would trigger an increase in state aid of only $25 million – resulting in a net loss to K-12 education of $66 million/year.
Agricultural land owners who live near urban areas could see significant property tax reductions, as property taxes could be passed on to nearby commercial and residential properties. In more rural areas, however, where property taxes couldn’t be passed on, property tax levies would either need to increase to fill the revenue shortfall or school budgets would need to be cut; limiting the services they can provide.
CLOSING
We’re just trying to get the facts out to our patrons. We don’t see how the much talked about “property tax relief” is going to come to York, Nebraska or lots of other communities either. We have a system that is in need of reform. We need more state funding for public education.
A LOOK AT THE 2014-15 FISCAL YEAR
This current year of 2014-15, York Public Schools finally is able to function like a “normal” school district. By that, I mean we are able to make a curriculum update without delaying it like we’ve had to do in years past, upgrade some outdated technology, purchase some much needed vehicles to replace two different 18+ year old units; while also adding a little bit to a cash reserve that sits at only 20% of its desired level. In fact, as this fiscal year began, we had less than $690,000 in our general fund opening balance; when it is recommended that a district our size have $3.5 million.
• Our 2014-15 general fund property tax request is $3,316,738 more than it was in 2008-09; for an increase of 49.2% as it currently sits at $10,049,494
• Our 2014-15 state aid is $2,008,442; which is $1,706,367 less than it was in 2008-09; for a decrease of 45.9%
• Our projected total revenue for 2014-15 is $15,400,000; which is $1,640,478 more than 2008-09; for an increase of 11.9% over six years but still less than 2% average growth annually
• Our 2014-15 valuation is $987,905,058; which is $359,064,412 higher than it was in 2008-09; for an increase of 57%
• Our projected total spending for 2014-15 is $15,200,000; which is $1,386,337 more than 2008-09; for an increase of 10% over six years but still just an average annual growth of just 1.6%.
o Much of this spending increase has been on expanding our birth-to-five programming as well as adding sections of Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade to keep our growing class sizes effective
PREVIEWING THE 2015-16 FISCAL YEAR
Our new 2015-16 fiscal year will begin on September 1st. This is the time of year we begin to update projections and plan ahead. We just found out that our state aid is projected to go down $445,000. How are we going to provide property tax relief? If we increase our general fund tax request to only recover the $445,000 we’re losing from state aid, that’s already a 4.4% increase over what we’re asking for in property taxes this year. This would keep our projected revenue for next year the same as it is this year at $15,400,000.
We can try to flat-line our spending (again) by delaying another round of curriculum adoptions, not updating our aging vehicle fleet, getting by with the technology we have, and not adding to our cash reserve. But then what? Do we need to look at cutting staff again? York High School already has 6.5 fewer teachers than it had 10 years ago. York Middle School has 2.5 fewer teachers. We’re practically re-writing the book on doing more with less even though the number of students with special needs that we serve is at an all-time high. Our total enrollment has increased 7% over the past five years as well. How can we provide property tax relief with flat-lined or declining total revenue?
WHY ARE PROPERTY TAXES WITHIN YPS HIGHER THAN NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS?
I’ve been asked a few times over the past year why farm ground within the boundaries of York Public Schools costs more than it does in other school districts. It all comes down to money generated per student. Each school district is unique. The examples I’m comparing to York are Franklin and West Point because I’ve worked for both of those systems and have respect for their communities. Farmers within YPS boundaries will pay much more for their ground than farmers in Franklin and West Point with lower levies but those lower levy districts will still generate much more money per student than York ever will. There are numerous school districts in Nebraska with levies lower than West Point and higher valuations.
• York is able to generate $9,977,790 with their $1.01 levy
o This comes to $7,183 of property tax revenue per student
• York’s levy is maxed out at $1.05 when you factor in our building fund tax request as well
• Franklin is able to generate $3,870,585 with their $0.95 levy
o This comes to $12,607 of property tax revenue per student
• West Point is able to generate $8,809,910 with their $0.85 levy
o This comes to $10,665 of property tax revenue per student
In 2013-14, York’s cost per pupil spending was $11,649 per student. Franklin spent $15,845 per student. West Point spent $12,969 per student. This is just a simple comparison of York and two other high quality school districts in our state using actual, updated data.
LITTLE KNOWN FACTS
• 65% of Nebraska’s school districts don’t receive any equalization aid from the state
• Local Property Taxes make up 48.2% of Nebraska public school districts’ revenue
o The national average is 29%
o In 2013-14, local property taxes accounted for 60.5% of York’s revenue
• State Aid makes up 31.6% of Nebraska public school districts’ revenue
o The national average is 45.5%
o In 2013-14, state aid accounted for just 10% of York’s revenue
• Simply put, this just shows once again the over-reliance Nebraska schools have on local property taxes
WHAT ABOUT DE-VALUING AGRICULTURE LAND TO 65% - WON’T THAT BE A GOOD THING?
Taxing agricultural land at only 65% of its full market value would likely lead to higher property taxes or service cuts for the vast majority of Nebraskans. Reductions to agricultural land valuations lead to significant revenue losses at the local level and for K-12 education, which would not be made up by increases in state aid.
• According to Open Sky, K-12 schools would lose approximately $91 million/year.
• The reduction in local resources would trigger an increase in state aid of only $25 million – resulting in a net loss to K-12 education of $66 million/year.
Agricultural land owners who live near urban areas could see significant property tax reductions, as property taxes could be passed on to nearby commercial and residential properties. In more rural areas, however, where property taxes couldn’t be passed on, property tax levies would either need to increase to fill the revenue shortfall or school budgets would need to be cut; limiting the services they can provide.
CLOSING
We’re just trying to get the facts out to our patrons. We don’t see how the much talked about “property tax relief” is going to come to York, Nebraska or lots of other communities either. We have a system that is in need of reform. We need more state funding for public education.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Follow-Up and Checking In on Grief - Part 2
Some additional thoughts I shared with staff via an email earlier today as we continue to follow-up and check on our students, staff, and community.
YPS:
Thanks for your continued professionalism and support of our students, community, JJ's family, and all of the people impacted by Tuesday's event. I feel the need to provide our staff with the bulleted points below as we move forward.
* Again, "grief specialists" highly recommend "normalcy" for schedules and routines for our kids. Therefore, we will have school on Monday. Any student or staff member that wants to attend the funeral may certainly do so. Please work with your building principal on such arrangements. Some of you will not want to go, some of you will only want to go to the church service, some of you will want to go to everything....we get that. We support that.
* Our wrestlers chose to carry on and they will be in Fairbury tomorrow competing. I will be there with them as will many others.
* We've been asked by numerous media outlets for statements on this situation, our policy on cyber bullying, why we do "this," why we don't do "that," etc. Out of respect for the family, we are simply being very brief in our responses. This isn't about the school district. This isn't about what assemblies we have on bullying, or what we've tried to do about Yik-Yak or anything else. This is about the family and the young people hurting. We're not going to engage in "press releases" or interviews during this difficult time. We just want people to know that we have counselors available in all buildings and that if we need to, we will bring in extra people. We will do what we need to do to help people with their wide range of emotions over the coming weeks/months.
* Another factor weighing hard on us is that this isn't our first suicide. We've lost other students the same way. All communities have at some point. We use the same protocol for each suicide but they all take on their own direction due to the individuals involved, family ties, personality, involvements, etc. As much as I am praying for the Vanderheidens, I'm also praying for Hannah Short's family and the others left to deal with suicide as each new occurrence re-opens their still healing scars too.
* The painful and ridiculous rumor mill is in full force. Out of respect for the family, we are not going to confront that at this time either. It's just not the time. This is a time of grieving and moving forward the best we can as individuals and as a team. This isn't about YPS or any of the ridiculous accusations/rumors that uninformed folks want to make on Facebook. This is about the horrific loss of another young person. This is about being there in a family and community's time of need.
* As your superintendent, I hurt just like you do. I am here for you if you need anything. My cell is 402-366-6491 and any of you can call or text any time of any day for anything. I am proud of what YPS does, has done, and will do. We've worked extremely hard on trying to partner with our families and communities on important initiatives that we all need to be aware of and we will continue to do so.
Thoughts and Prayers,
Mike
YPS:
Thanks for your continued professionalism and support of our students, community, JJ's family, and all of the people impacted by Tuesday's event. I feel the need to provide our staff with the bulleted points below as we move forward.
* Again, "grief specialists" highly recommend "normalcy" for schedules and routines for our kids. Therefore, we will have school on Monday. Any student or staff member that wants to attend the funeral may certainly do so. Please work with your building principal on such arrangements. Some of you will not want to go, some of you will only want to go to the church service, some of you will want to go to everything....we get that. We support that.
* Our wrestlers chose to carry on and they will be in Fairbury tomorrow competing. I will be there with them as will many others.
* We've been asked by numerous media outlets for statements on this situation, our policy on cyber bullying, why we do "this," why we don't do "that," etc. Out of respect for the family, we are simply being very brief in our responses. This isn't about the school district. This isn't about what assemblies we have on bullying, or what we've tried to do about Yik-Yak or anything else. This is about the family and the young people hurting. We're not going to engage in "press releases" or interviews during this difficult time. We just want people to know that we have counselors available in all buildings and that if we need to, we will bring in extra people. We will do what we need to do to help people with their wide range of emotions over the coming weeks/months.
* Another factor weighing hard on us is that this isn't our first suicide. We've lost other students the same way. All communities have at some point. We use the same protocol for each suicide but they all take on their own direction due to the individuals involved, family ties, personality, involvements, etc. As much as I am praying for the Vanderheidens, I'm also praying for Hannah Short's family and the others left to deal with suicide as each new occurrence re-opens their still healing scars too.
* The painful and ridiculous rumor mill is in full force. Out of respect for the family, we are not going to confront that at this time either. It's just not the time. This is a time of grieving and moving forward the best we can as individuals and as a team. This isn't about YPS or any of the ridiculous accusations/rumors that uninformed folks want to make on Facebook. This is about the horrific loss of another young person. This is about being there in a family and community's time of need.
* As your superintendent, I hurt just like you do. I am here for you if you need anything. My cell is 402-366-6491 and any of you can call or text any time of any day for anything. I am proud of what YPS does, has done, and will do. We've worked extremely hard on trying to partner with our families and communities on important initiatives that we all need to be aware of and we will continue to do so.
Thoughts and Prayers,
Mike
Grief
I don't really feel like blogging today so I'm just going to share the email I sent to the YPS staff around 1:00 AM on Wednesday morning.
YPS Staff:
Tuesday was obviously a horribly tragic and sad day with the death of JJ Vanderheiden. I want to thank the Crisis Committee for how they handled things. Mitch, Aaron, and the entire high school staff held things together in as positive of a fashion as possible.
Thanks to Seward and Centennial for sending over counselors as well. The experts say our young people need as much "normalcy" as possible in times like this even though normalcy is the farthest thing from our mind.
Let's keep an eye out for one another, for kids and adults that might be struggling, and for the family. We will provide whatever guidance and assistance we need to in any of our buildings. We lost Hannah at the Enrichment Center this past fall in the same manner. We've endured other suicides over the years as well. It is always devastating and sad.
Let us help if you need to visit with someone. We will all deal with this differently and none of us are right or wrong. Thank you for what you do and how you do it. Our staff is loved and supported by many, and in return, we can love and support others in times of need.
We will stay together and we will be there for our students and community.
YPS Staff:
Tuesday was obviously a horribly tragic and sad day with the death of JJ Vanderheiden. I want to thank the Crisis Committee for how they handled things. Mitch, Aaron, and the entire high school staff held things together in as positive of a fashion as possible.
Thanks to Seward and Centennial for sending over counselors as well. The experts say our young people need as much "normalcy" as possible in times like this even though normalcy is the farthest thing from our mind.
Let's keep an eye out for one another, for kids and adults that might be struggling, and for the family. We will provide whatever guidance and assistance we need to in any of our buildings. We lost Hannah at the Enrichment Center this past fall in the same manner. We've endured other suicides over the years as well. It is always devastating and sad.
Let us help if you need to visit with someone. We will all deal with this differently and none of us are right or wrong. Thank you for what you do and how you do it. Our staff is loved and supported by many, and in return, we can love and support others in times of need.
We will stay together and we will be there for our students and community.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Blue Valley Community Action Partnership Needs our Help
Blue Valley Community Action Partnership needs our help. Their facility in York caught fire this past weekend and they lost most of the food and items they had. A quick visit to their website shows just how important this organization is.
Their mission is to help people overcome poverty by improving lives and strengthening communities.
Their vision is that communities are safe and supportive, differences and traditions are respected, individuals and families are financially secure, and everyone has opportunities to develop their potential.
Another excerpt from their website shows their passion and commitment; "Community Action changes people's lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities, and makes America a better place to live. We care about the entire community and we are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other."
The YHS basketball teams will be hosting Fairbury on Friday, January 23rd. We hope all attendees bring some canned food and household items to donate to Blue Valley so we can help re-stock their lost merchandise. We hope to fill multiple, large containers. Please help!
Their mission is to help people overcome poverty by improving lives and strengthening communities.
Their vision is that communities are safe and supportive, differences and traditions are respected, individuals and families are financially secure, and everyone has opportunities to develop their potential.
Another excerpt from their website shows their passion and commitment; "Community Action changes people's lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities, and makes America a better place to live. We care about the entire community and we are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other."
The YHS basketball teams will be hosting Fairbury on Friday, January 23rd. We hope all attendees bring some canned food and household items to donate to Blue Valley so we can help re-stock their lost merchandise. We hope to fill multiple, large containers. Please help!
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Hub Foster Press Box - One Final Push
Here is one final update and request for assistance as the East Hill Home Field Advantage Committee looks to wrap things up. To review, we remain very appreciative of the support we’ve received and extremely proud of the facility that has been created and revamped for York High School football.
The Hub Foster Press Box is a beautiful, updated facility that is a great tribute to a wonderful man who meant so much to so many in this great community. The handicapped accessible bleachers have made Friday night ballgames much more enjoyable. The locker rooms will be completed and ready for use in August. These provide a safe place for student-athletes, coaches, trainers, and officials to go during inclement weather. York Youth Football, York College soccer, and Cornerstone Legion baseball are other entities that could also use the locker rooms when the need arises.
The original estimated cost of this project was $600,000, and we’ve received approximately $413,000 in cash plus $135,000 in pledges to date for a total of $548,000. The updated estimated cost of the entire project is now over $800,000, which has created the need for $300,000+ to pay off the line of credit. The successful passing of the ½% sales tax this past November 4th will go into effect on April 1st and that will help pay off whatever is left on the line of credit debt.
It is so exciting to report that in some form or fashion, over 1,000 people have contributed to this project and nearly 200 will be recognized on the donor recognition board that will be erected this summer. Donations are being taken through March 31st with any donation of $250 or more earning recognition board status.
We are making this one final request for donations so that all those interested will be recognized and associated with the project, thus allowing more taxpayers’ monies to be used within York for the numerous other needs expressed during the ½% sales tax campaign.
If you are interested in donating to the project, contact Mike Lucas at 402-362-6655 ext. 4 or via email at mike.lucas@yordkukes.org by March 31st.
The Hub Foster Press Box is a beautiful, updated facility that is a great tribute to a wonderful man who meant so much to so many in this great community. The handicapped accessible bleachers have made Friday night ballgames much more enjoyable. The locker rooms will be completed and ready for use in August. These provide a safe place for student-athletes, coaches, trainers, and officials to go during inclement weather. York Youth Football, York College soccer, and Cornerstone Legion baseball are other entities that could also use the locker rooms when the need arises.
The original estimated cost of this project was $600,000, and we’ve received approximately $413,000 in cash plus $135,000 in pledges to date for a total of $548,000. The updated estimated cost of the entire project is now over $800,000, which has created the need for $300,000+ to pay off the line of credit. The successful passing of the ½% sales tax this past November 4th will go into effect on April 1st and that will help pay off whatever is left on the line of credit debt.
It is so exciting to report that in some form or fashion, over 1,000 people have contributed to this project and nearly 200 will be recognized on the donor recognition board that will be erected this summer. Donations are being taken through March 31st with any donation of $250 or more earning recognition board status.
We are making this one final request for donations so that all those interested will be recognized and associated with the project, thus allowing more taxpayers’ monies to be used within York for the numerous other needs expressed during the ½% sales tax campaign.
If you are interested in donating to the project, contact Mike Lucas at 402-362-6655 ext. 4 or via email at mike.lucas@yordkukes.org by March 31st.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Taxes and School District Budgets
York Public Schools has been working with other school districts and various organizations on various ideas for property tax relief, additional revenue streams for schools, etc.
I personally feel that school districts are wearing a huge bulls-eye right now with lots of lawmakers yelling for reduced spending, less taxes, etc. but they don't see the whole picture; which is "total revenue" that school districts have to work with.
Using YPS as a small example, our total state revenue totaled $5,356,167 in 2008-09 and declined to $3,551,808 in 2013-14. Our total federal revenue dipped from $1,380,076 to $819,172 at the same time. All in all, over that five year span, our state and federal revenue dropped by a combined total of $2,365,263.
During that same time span, our property taxes skyrocketed 34.6% from $6,472,903 to $8,717,649 for an increase of $2,244,746 which is still over $120,000 LESS than what we lost in state and federal revenue.
Many see school districts as "out of control spenders" and that couldn't be farther from the truth from what I see. In fact, my oldest daughter and I studied annual financial report data of over 55 schools last month and found out that a little over 75% of them grew their annual budgets over the last 5-year span by LESS than an average of 1.8% each year. York, and several others actually averaged LESS than 1% spending growth each year.
We take property taxes very seriously and we're trying to do our part to come up with potential resolutions. If you have any ideas, please share them.
Go Dukes!
I personally feel that school districts are wearing a huge bulls-eye right now with lots of lawmakers yelling for reduced spending, less taxes, etc. but they don't see the whole picture; which is "total revenue" that school districts have to work with.
Using YPS as a small example, our total state revenue totaled $5,356,167 in 2008-09 and declined to $3,551,808 in 2013-14. Our total federal revenue dipped from $1,380,076 to $819,172 at the same time. All in all, over that five year span, our state and federal revenue dropped by a combined total of $2,365,263.
During that same time span, our property taxes skyrocketed 34.6% from $6,472,903 to $8,717,649 for an increase of $2,244,746 which is still over $120,000 LESS than what we lost in state and federal revenue.
Many see school districts as "out of control spenders" and that couldn't be farther from the truth from what I see. In fact, my oldest daughter and I studied annual financial report data of over 55 schools last month and found out that a little over 75% of them grew their annual budgets over the last 5-year span by LESS than an average of 1.8% each year. York, and several others actually averaged LESS than 1% spending growth each year.
We take property taxes very seriously and we're trying to do our part to come up with potential resolutions. If you have any ideas, please share them.
Go Dukes!
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