NASSAU.SUFFOLK SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION, INC.

OFFICE: 219 Bedford Avenue, Bellmore, NY 11710-0385 Tel (516) 781-2053 Fax (516) 679-0401
MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. BOX 385, Bellmore, NY 11710-0385 e-mail : info@nssba.org
JIM KADEN, PRESIDENT LORRAINE DELLER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

May 6, 2009

TO: Senator Brian Foley

Senator Graig Johnson
Senator Suzi Oppenhei rner
Senator Andrea Stewart-Cous i ns

CG: Long lsland Senate and Assernbly Delegation

FROM: Jirn Kaden, President

Fran Greenspan, Legislation Committee Ghair

RE: MTA School Payroll Tax - DON'T SELL OUT for the BAILOUT!

The 8 p.m. press conference revealing the Senate's MTA bailout deal was appropriately
timed......lni fHe DARK OF NIGHT! An announcement that the scherne would be put to
a vote in the Assernbly and Senate in less than 24 hours (utilizing a "message of
necessity") .....BACKROOM DEALING AT ITS WORST!

Nowhere but in the dysfunctional system that is now New York $tate government would
a scheme to raid local education dollars to bailout a transit systern be taken seriously.

Long lsland schools are being ordered to take on a peffnanent obligation to fund the
mfAin exchange for a prornissory note that is not worth the paper it is not written on.
tn two weeks our voters will pass judgment on local school budgets that are the tightest
in years....school budgets that do not include the $24.4 mandated increase for the MTA.
A i'rcimbursement', if it comes at all, would not be taken up until the 2010-11 state
budget.

And what then? ls the MTA "reimbursement" to be added to the list of promised aids
that our schools have to fight for annually? How soon will it be before the
"reimbursernent" is viewed as extra state aid going to "rich" Long lsland? How long will
it take before school districts are chastised for the increases in their expenditurc
budgets to accommodate the additional payroll costs?

IS THIS WHAT YOU, OUR SUBURBAN STATE SENATORS, AGREED TO?

LONG ISLANDERS DESERVE BETTER - DONNT BRING OUR SCHOOLS INTO THE MTA
FUNDING SHELL GAME - PROTECT EDUCATION DOLLARS!
 KINGS PARK CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
ADI"II N ISTRATION BUI LDI NG
Located at The San Remo ScDoo/
180 Lawren@ Road
Kings Park, New York 11754
631 -269-3310 Fax 631 -269-0750
www.kpcsd org

Susan A, Agruso, Ph.D Nstalie Doyfe

Superinbndent of Schools Adminrslrator for
- Pupif Personnel Servrcan
Ralph J Csrtisano
Assirtant Supnnlondent fior Cuniculum, Judy Bishop
Instrucoon and Pgnsonnel Eroculive Alustanl
to tho Supcrintendent
Michael E. Quigley
Assistant Superintendent for Finano
and Adminlstrstive Sorvies

May 6, 2009

Senator Brian X. Foley

State Office Building
Suite 2A- I
Veterans Memorial HighwaY
Hauppauge, NY 11788

Dear Senator Folcy:

Last Septembcr, this district took steps to reduce expenses to be better preparcd for our
current fiscal crisis. The money saved was to be used to continue needed educational
prograrns for the next school year tlnder the proposal to make the M'l'A payroll tax
retroactive to .lanuary 2009, $65,000 of those funds will not be spent on education;
instcad the funds will be sent to Albany to bailout the MTA.

Our budget for next year is set. The $147,000 thi.s district will be assessed for the MTA
payroll tax during 2009-2010 will have to come from educational programs. We already
eliminated 22 positions, l4 of which are teachers.'fhe amount of the MTA payroll tax for
the next school year is the equivalent of three teaching positions.

When wc presenl the 2010-2011 school budget next spring to our tBxpayers, we will have
to explain why their taxes will go up to cover $160,000 in additional payroll expcnses for
the MTA payroll tax. And if that budget is defeated, to rneet thc state 's contingency
budget cap, we will have to cut $150,000 in educational programs because the MTA
payroll tax is a mandated expense.

Reimbursement from the state could take yeBrs, if the money comes at all. Until that time,
this is just one more unfunded nrandate. The diffbrence herc is that we cannot even
pretend this is for education.

usan A. AgruSPh.t)
Superi ntenderft of Schools