ForImmediateRelease Contact:MichaelJ.

Borges
March6,2017 mborges@nysasbo.org
5184342281,ext.108

NinetyEightPercentofSchoolDistrictsExpecttoStayWithinTaxCap

NYSASBOhasanalyzedinformationthatschooldistrictsarerequiredbylawtosubmittotheOfficeoftheState
Comptroller (OSC) on their tax cap calculations and proposed taxes for school year 201718 budgets. Of the
districtsthathavesubmittedinformationsofartotheOSC,98percentofthemhaveproposedtostaywithin
theirrespectivetaxcaps.Thestatewidetaxcapforthisyearis1.26percentwithoutpermissibleexclusions.The
actualproposedtaxincreaseis1.82percentwithpermissibleexclusions.Thisislessthanthe2%allowedbythe
lawforthisyear.

While its still early in the school budget process, 15 school districts propose to override the tax cap. This
numberisthelowestsincetheinceptionofthetaxcapin201112.Lastyear,thetaxcapwasatrecordlowof
.12%and36districtsattemptedanoverride.

Thenumberofnegativetaxcapsalsodroppedconsiderablyto18districtsfromthe82districtsthathadthem
last year. Many factors can lead to negative tax caps, including changes in capital exclusions, local property
base,orpaymentsinlieuoftaxes(PILOTS).

Schooldistrictleaderscontinuetomanagetheirfinancesinaprudentandcosteffectivemannerthatreflects
communityprioritiesatacostthatthepubliccansupport.SchooldistrictshopetheLegislaturewillsupporta
stateBudgetthatincludesacombinationofmandatereliefandincreasedaidthatwillallowthemtoprovidea
soundbasiceducationtoallstudentsinthestate,statedMichaelJ.Borges,NYSASBOExecutiveDirector.