WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. April 15, 2008: The State Legislature vote to approve the state budget last week created a 15% increase in state education aid to White Plains. This is the most aid ($15.3 Million) the district has received ever and represents 8.3% of the budget. The increase in aid has enabled the district to raise the school budget, while reducing the tax rate, Assistant Superintendent for Business, Fred Seiler explained to the School Board last night.
The budget with the new state aid increases $400,000 from the previous Preliminary Budget ($184 Million) to $184,420,859 – a year to year increase of 5.95% (about double the inflation rate of 3.3%). This results in a new tax rate of $503 per $1,000 of assessed valuation (down from $506.61 two weeks ago). This results in a $54 saving to the taxpayer. The median home in White Plains will pay $12,580 in taxes to the schools, city and county as a result.
Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors thanked State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer, and Assemblypersons Adam Bradley and Amy Paulin for their roles in “lowering our tax rate,” and restoring cuts in state aid previously removed from the budget. Seiler noted that the increased aid was a result of the White Plains representatives and the legislature voting to return the fourth and highest level of state aid formulas which resulted in the most favorable apportionment of state aid to White Plains. Previously White Plains stood to receive $13.9 Million in state aid. The new formula delivers $15.3 Million.
The effect of the new budget on the median White Plains home saves the owner of a home assessed at $15,000, a total of $24 in taxes. The tax increase in the new budget is $425.85 -- for a total school tax of $7,501 for the $15,000 assessed home.
Here is how the taxes shape up for various home values in the White Plains market. The assessments are the average assessments supplied by the City Assessor.
WPCNR WHITE PLAINS TAX LADDER -- 2008-2009
Taxes -- $2 Million Home Assessed at $42,200
School District -- $21,227
City Tax -- $6,279
County Tax -- $5,492
Estimated 2008-2009 Total Taxes on $2 Million Home: $32,998
Taxes-- $1.5 Million Home Assessed at $31,650
School District -- $15,920
City Tax -- $4,709
County Tax --$4,119
Taxes -- $1.5 Million Home: $24,748
$1 Million Home Assessed at $ 21,100
School Tax: $10,613
City Tax: $3,139
County Tax: $2,746
2008-2009 Estimated Total Tax: $16,498
$700,000 Home with STAR ($14,775 Assessed Value)
School District -- $7,431
City Tax -- $2,750
County Tax --$2,400
Estimated TOTAL TAX BILL for a $700,000 Home: $12,581
Taxes – $400,000 Home Assessed at $8500
School District-- $4,275
City Tax--$1,265
County Tax $1,021
Estimated TOTAL TAX BILL for a $400,000 Home: $6,561*
*Note: These are estimates only and assessments vary on the amenities of individual properties, and these estimates are only meant to give an idea of the impact of the 2008-2009 round of tax increases of school district, city and county tax rates.
Aid Must Be Spent Does Not Result in “Savings”
The school budget has gone up because the state aid is mandated to be spent by the district. Because it is an injection of revenue, the tax rate goes down. Seiler noted that $396,403 of this year’s state aid can be spent on maintenance of the present school district programs. The district is restricted to spending 50% of the remaining $1.1 Million on present programs, and 50% on new programs. The district plans on funding a new science teacher and a coordinator of Special Education programs as part of the new programs, and is looking for other programs (considered new) to spend an additional $359,000 in aid.
The Board voted unanimously to approve the $484.4 Million Budget, and to also include $90,000 in improvements to the baseball field facilities at White Plains High School and Eastview Scbool for safety reasons.
Worry over how hard the state budget revenues are
Fred Seiler, speaking with WPCNR afterward expressed worry that he did not know how "hard" the state's numbers were. He recalled 1992 when state aid was $6.2 Million. That year he said, the state budget revenues did not match expectations and hundreds of school districts across the state had to make cuts in mid-year, because the individual districts were heavily dependent on the state aid. Seiler said White Plains receives 8.3% of its budget revenues from the state, and is somewhat insulated from the effects of state budget shortfalls.
