It truly is a bit disturbing how people quickly change topics with regards to the school budget layoffs of over 100 employees, with most being teachers. The budget is purely, 100% for the benefit of all New Rochelle Public School students. They are priority #1 and they are the main recipients of every dime paid by taxpayers. The budget is created to provide quality education and programs for New Rochelle Public School students. If, and only if there is some extra funding and should the Board of Education feel 100% satisfied that the New Rochelle student population is 100% taken care of, then and only then should funding be allocated to residential children attending grades K-5 in private schools located in district first, and out of district second.
As I mentioned in my original article, when parents are paying $21,000+ for their children to attend private schools, I’m sure they can afford to pay busing to these schools as well. It truly is an insult that parents are threatening to move from New Rochelle because out of district busing should be eliminated. It’s an empty threat and under current real estate conditions, they would be fools to do so. And I truly believe that any of my fellow brethren are fools. So please, stop. Everyone must pay taxes and we all knew when we purchased our homes that school taxes are for the New Rochelle Public School system.
Now, do I agree the way in which the Public Schools are currently operated by The Board of Education and Superintendent Organisciak? Absolutly NOT!!!
Under Organisiak’s watch as superintended of schools in Brooklyn, three schools were shut down under his management due to poor academics. With this track record, I always wondered why The Board of Education hired this non-performing, deceitful, person as our superintendent. Those questions also went unanswered when asked. But all said and done, we now have to live with the irresponsible decision made by our elected Board of Education members.
So, why hasn’t the Board voted on pay reduction for the superintendent, assistant superintendents, department heads, and everyone else with a “C” level title in the Board of Education? Why then are they all receiving pay increases when cuts are being made? It’s amazing to hear the board say under difficult times, difficult decisions must be made. Those are just empty & thoughtless words when they speak them. If they really mean what they say, they would find ways to reduce spending where it’s really needed, within the Board of Education Offices, maintenance & ground crews.
The Board of Education complains about the teachers union and their benefits and retirement packages. What about the security positions within the Board of Education where police officers are moonlighting as school security? That is called double dipping in the pension & benefits fund, which means one person will receive two pension checks come retirement. How’s that for misdistribution of funds. Why, under troubled economic times do our Superintendents and department heads still drive vehicles paid for by taxpayers? And why are we still paying for their fuel and vehicle maintenance? Why haven’t monthly expenses been capped? It seems to me that these monthly expenses that are estimated to be over $15,000 per month by Organisiak and the assistant superintendents are extremely excessive, even in good financial times. “Desperate times call for desperate actions, as long as we aren’t affected by them,” should be the Board of Education’s motto when it comes to budget cuts.
Cut the fat, not necessary teachers & programs that benefit our student population.
