Post by rrogers40 on Apr 26, 2009 7:36:44 GMT -5
www.uticaod.com/homepage/x50632355/Are-Utica-schools-making-the-grade
By REBECCA CRONISER and JENNIFER FUSCO
Observer-Dispatch
Posted Apr 25, 2009 @ 11:37 PM
Five years ago, the Utica City School District was so underfunded that it was suing the state for more aid.
Fast forward to 2009, and the district has undergone the most dramatic jump in spending and state funding in the Mohawk Valley.
The budget has increased by 71 percent in the past decade. School taxes have increased 44 percent this decade.
Now, officials are faced with the challenge of showing how more than $30 million in aid since 2004 might improve the district’s quality of education.
That challenge is significant. The district has added more than 100 positions in the past two years alone.
While the district touts improved graduation rates, decreased dropout rates, better safety and higher test scores, state results paint a different picture:
Utica’s graduation rate dipped from 79 percent in 2005-06 to 69 percent in 2006-07.
Student performance on standardized tests is inconsistent, with gains on some fronts and losses on others. For instance, in 2000, 45 percent of eighth graders passed the state’s English exam. In 2008, only 41 percent did.
Black, Asian, disabled and poor students all lag significantly on English language arts education.
Superintendent James Willis, who took over the district’s top post in January from retired Superintendent Marilyn Skermont, is optimistic.
“We’ve made great strides,” he said. “People talk about throwing money at education. If you do it right, it can have results.”
Yet some residents and even a school board member question how the district is spending the additional money.
Roberta Rodriguez, who has a daughter attending Thomas R. Proctor High School, said the money should have had more of an impact by now.
“What are they doing with the money if they aren’t improving their graduation rate?” she asked. “Isn’t that the most important thing?”
Board Vice President Louis LaPolla said the focus must be on results.
“We keep creating new programs, but we should review the existing ones,” LaPolla said last week, just before the board finalized next year’s budget with a 2 percent tax increase.
“We need to show results before we go to the taxpayers for more money,” he said.
But test scores and graduation rates cannot just be compared to the money spent, said Barbara Bradley, deputy director of communications and research for the state School Boards Association.
“You have to look at what the student population is and what are the personnel costs you have to give them the kind of help they need,” Bradley said.
A changing environment
The district filed a lawsuit against the state in 2004 alleging that New York state failed to give Utica students their constitutional right to a sound, basic education. It was patterned after a similar New York City lawsuit brought by a nonprofit group called Citizens for Fiscal Equity.
When the district filed the lawsuit, its budget was $89 million and it received $59.8 in state aid. That included a $2 million loan from the state to avoid cutting more than 70 jobs and raising taxes 37 percent.
The board suspended its lawsuit last year, saying it appeared Gov. David Paterson was responding to the district’s needs with more state aid and the promise of millions more.
Most of that has come as Foundation Aid, which was a reworking of the state’s formula for providing money to districts. The aid specifically targets poor and urban districts.
The New York City lawsuit was the main impetus for that change.
Classroom impact
District officials insist the money is having a positive impact and will be seen in coming years.
“We’ve implemented programs in the last couple of years and we will continue to see the fruits of these down the road,” Proctor High School Principal Steve Falchi said.
Some parents said they can see a difference in the schools.
“These schools are different schools than they were a decade ago,” said Phillip Colon, who has a son at the high school and a daughter at Donovan Middle School. “I’ve seen a change for the better. There’s still more to be done, but things are getting better.”
Utica Teacher’s Association president Larry Custodero said the additional aid the district has gotten over the years has gone toward innovative new programs including professional learning centers. It has also helped to keep class sizes at manageable levels, he said.
“It’s been used to benefit the district in many different ways,” said Custodero, who was in the hospital last week recovering from knee surgery.
Utica resident Gary Harvey has a ninth grader at Proctor.
The additional amount of state aid the district has received in the past several years has been spent wisely, said Harvey, a community leader and educator at Proctor.
“We have over a 70 percent poverty rate in this building,” he said. “We have a lot of students that have other challenges and disabilities and when you take all that into consideration, that aid helps them.”
Tax impact
While most of the extra money has come from the state, taxpayers have contributed a fair portion.
A resident with a home assessed at $75,000 without STAR has to pay $550 more than they did 10 years ago.
Megan Koenig has lived in her house on Cosby Road for a little over a year.
“Obviously, it affects me because the taxes will raise our monthly mortgage payments,” she said. “It adds a little extra burden, especially in these times.”
With the poor economy and a growing number of people out of work, one expert said the school district should be scaling back on spending and reducing taxes.
“Those who have jobs are losing their benefits,” said Lise Bang-Jensen, senior policy analyst for Empire Center for New York State Policy. “The average homeowner in Utica is not seeing their wages go up as fast as the school property tax.”
Willis said that even though the state is increasing its funding, taxpayers still need to contribute.
“The state aid was never meant to fully fund a district,” Willis said. “We’ve had two years in a row without tax increases, and the state has taken notice of that.”
The future
More money is headed Utica’s way.
The district will pour $187.6 million into school buildings in the next five to eight years through its capital project approved by voters last summer.
Utica is also in line to get millions more in Foundation Aid in coming years.
However, that aid was frozen next year as the state struggled to balance its budget.
“The question is whether the state will be able to maintain its obligations at that time,” Central New York School Board Association Executive Director Lawrence Cummings said.
Willis said additional funding is still needed to help the district to continue to improve.
“We don’t want to stop now,” he said. “We want to keep pushing. We need to get to the point where we are setting a higher level of standards.”
How come on one of the better articles that the Utica OD does they don't allow coments?
By REBECCA CRONISER and JENNIFER FUSCO
Observer-Dispatch
Posted Apr 25, 2009 @ 11:37 PM
Five years ago, the Utica City School District was so underfunded that it was suing the state for more aid.
Fast forward to 2009, and the district has undergone the most dramatic jump in spending and state funding in the Mohawk Valley.
The budget has increased by 71 percent in the past decade. School taxes have increased 44 percent this decade.
Now, officials are faced with the challenge of showing how more than $30 million in aid since 2004 might improve the district’s quality of education.
That challenge is significant. The district has added more than 100 positions in the past two years alone.
While the district touts improved graduation rates, decreased dropout rates, better safety and higher test scores, state results paint a different picture:
Utica’s graduation rate dipped from 79 percent in 2005-06 to 69 percent in 2006-07.
Student performance on standardized tests is inconsistent, with gains on some fronts and losses on others. For instance, in 2000, 45 percent of eighth graders passed the state’s English exam. In 2008, only 41 percent did.
Black, Asian, disabled and poor students all lag significantly on English language arts education.
Superintendent James Willis, who took over the district’s top post in January from retired Superintendent Marilyn Skermont, is optimistic.
“We’ve made great strides,” he said. “People talk about throwing money at education. If you do it right, it can have results.”
Yet some residents and even a school board member question how the district is spending the additional money.
Roberta Rodriguez, who has a daughter attending Thomas R. Proctor High School, said the money should have had more of an impact by now.
“What are they doing with the money if they aren’t improving their graduation rate?” she asked. “Isn’t that the most important thing?”
Board Vice President Louis LaPolla said the focus must be on results.
“We keep creating new programs, but we should review the existing ones,” LaPolla said last week, just before the board finalized next year’s budget with a 2 percent tax increase.
“We need to show results before we go to the taxpayers for more money,” he said.
But test scores and graduation rates cannot just be compared to the money spent, said Barbara Bradley, deputy director of communications and research for the state School Boards Association.
“You have to look at what the student population is and what are the personnel costs you have to give them the kind of help they need,” Bradley said.
A changing environment
The district filed a lawsuit against the state in 2004 alleging that New York state failed to give Utica students their constitutional right to a sound, basic education. It was patterned after a similar New York City lawsuit brought by a nonprofit group called Citizens for Fiscal Equity.
When the district filed the lawsuit, its budget was $89 million and it received $59.8 in state aid. That included a $2 million loan from the state to avoid cutting more than 70 jobs and raising taxes 37 percent.
The board suspended its lawsuit last year, saying it appeared Gov. David Paterson was responding to the district’s needs with more state aid and the promise of millions more.
Most of that has come as Foundation Aid, which was a reworking of the state’s formula for providing money to districts. The aid specifically targets poor and urban districts.
The New York City lawsuit was the main impetus for that change.
Classroom impact
District officials insist the money is having a positive impact and will be seen in coming years.
“We’ve implemented programs in the last couple of years and we will continue to see the fruits of these down the road,” Proctor High School Principal Steve Falchi said.
Some parents said they can see a difference in the schools.
“These schools are different schools than they were a decade ago,” said Phillip Colon, who has a son at the high school and a daughter at Donovan Middle School. “I’ve seen a change for the better. There’s still more to be done, but things are getting better.”
Utica Teacher’s Association president Larry Custodero said the additional aid the district has gotten over the years has gone toward innovative new programs including professional learning centers. It has also helped to keep class sizes at manageable levels, he said.
“It’s been used to benefit the district in many different ways,” said Custodero, who was in the hospital last week recovering from knee surgery.
Utica resident Gary Harvey has a ninth grader at Proctor.
The additional amount of state aid the district has received in the past several years has been spent wisely, said Harvey, a community leader and educator at Proctor.
“We have over a 70 percent poverty rate in this building,” he said. “We have a lot of students that have other challenges and disabilities and when you take all that into consideration, that aid helps them.”
Tax impact
While most of the extra money has come from the state, taxpayers have contributed a fair portion.
A resident with a home assessed at $75,000 without STAR has to pay $550 more than they did 10 years ago.
Megan Koenig has lived in her house on Cosby Road for a little over a year.
“Obviously, it affects me because the taxes will raise our monthly mortgage payments,” she said. “It adds a little extra burden, especially in these times.”
With the poor economy and a growing number of people out of work, one expert said the school district should be scaling back on spending and reducing taxes.
“Those who have jobs are losing their benefits,” said Lise Bang-Jensen, senior policy analyst for Empire Center for New York State Policy. “The average homeowner in Utica is not seeing their wages go up as fast as the school property tax.”
Willis said that even though the state is increasing its funding, taxpayers still need to contribute.
“The state aid was never meant to fully fund a district,” Willis said. “We’ve had two years in a row without tax increases, and the state has taken notice of that.”
The future
More money is headed Utica’s way.
The district will pour $187.6 million into school buildings in the next five to eight years through its capital project approved by voters last summer.
Utica is also in line to get millions more in Foundation Aid in coming years.
However, that aid was frozen next year as the state struggled to balance its budget.
“The question is whether the state will be able to maintain its obligations at that time,” Central New York School Board Association Executive Director Lawrence Cummings said.
Willis said additional funding is still needed to help the district to continue to improve.
“We don’t want to stop now,” he said. “We want to keep pushing. We need to get to the point where we are setting a higher level of standards.”
How come on one of the better articles that the Utica OD does they don't allow coments?
