School Budget Vote Synopsis 2013-2014

New York State School Budget Vote 2013-2014

2The New York State Association of School Business Officials | Advancing the Business of Education

2013-2014 School Budget Vote Results

The first round of school budget votes for the 2013-2014 school fiscal year took place on May 21, 2013 for 676 districts across New York State. Out of 676 school budget votes, 644 or 95.3% passed and 32 or 4.7% were defeated in the first attempt. Out of the 648 school budgets that were within their maximum property tax levy limit, 637 or 98.3% were passed. Only two of these districts, Niagara-Wheatfield CSD in Niagara County, and East Ramapo CSD in Rockland County also had budget defeats in the 2012-2013 school year. All but one of the 32 districts with defeated budgets held re-votes on June 18. Marlboro Central School

District approved a contingency budget instead of holding a second vote. The BOCES regions with the lowest percentage of voter approved budgets among their component districts were the Orleans-Niagara BOCES, with a 76.9% budget approval rate, and the Orange Ulster BOCES, with an 83.3% budget approval rate. After the revote on June 18, 94% of the revised budgets were passed with the only two defeated re-votes being Remsen Central Schools in Oneida County (41% for budget), and Wilson Central School District in Niagara County (40% for budget).

Upstate School District Budget Vote Results

1913

118

17

15

10

3

20 4

6

16

1812

7

2

15

21

149

Budget Passed with Revote

Budget Defeated with Revote

Upstate School District Budget Results June 2013 Symbol District

1 ALDEN CSD2 BEMUS POINT CSD3 CAIRO DURHAM CSD4 CORNWALL CSD5 CLARENCE CSD6 EAST RAMAPO CSD7 ELMIRA HEIGHTS CSD8 GENERAL BROWN CSD9 LEWISTON-PORTER CSD

10 MIDDLEBURGH CSD11 MINERVA CSD12 MORAVIA CSD13 NEWCOMB CSD14 NIAGARA-WHEATFIELD CSD15 NISKAYUNA CSD16 NORTH SYRACUSE CSD17 REMSEN CSD18 SOUTH SENECA CSD19 TUPPER LAKE CSD20 VALLEY CENTRAL CSD21 WILSON CSD

Budget Passed First Time

Budget Passed with Revote

Budget Defeated with Revote

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Results of School Budget Votes that Failed on their First Attempt

School District Vote Yes Vote No Total Percent Yes Revote

Capital Region BOCES

Middleburgh CSD 374 399 773 48.40% Yes

Niskayuna CSD 2484 3154 5638 48.40% Yes

Cayuga-Ononodaga BOCES

Moravia CSD 512 393 905 56.60% Yes

Erie #1 BOCES

Alden CSD 495 743 1238 40.00% Yes

Clarence CSD 3,431 4,801 8,232 41.70% Yes

Erie #2 - Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES

Bemus Point CSD 215 227 442 48.60% Yes

Franklin-Essex-Hamilton BOCES

Tupper Lake CSD 512 685 1,197 42.80% Yes

Greater Southern Tier BOCES

Elmira Heights CSD 312 272 584 53.40% Yes

Jefferson-Lewis-Herkimer-Oneida BOCES

General Brown CSD 806 580 1386 58.20% Yes

Downstate School Budget Vote Results

5

1

2

4

6

10

7

9

38

Budget Passed with Revote

Budget Passed both Years

Westchester County and Long Island School Budget Results June 2013

Symbol School District 1 BALDWIN UFSD2 BRIARCLIFF MANOR UFSD3 EAST QUOGUE UFSD4 ELMSFORD UFSD5 MANHASSET UFSD6 MT. VERNON CITY SD7 NORTH BABYLON UFSD8 SACHEM CSD9 SCARSDALE UFSD

10 SOUTH COUNTRY CSDBudget Passed First Time

Budget Passed with Revote

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School District Vote Yes Vote No Total Percent Yes Revote

Nassau BOCES

Baldwin UFSD 1945 1538 3483 55.80% Yes

Manhasset UFSD 2053 1797 3850 53.30% Yes

Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES

Remsen CSD 141 170 311 45.30% Yes

Onondaga-Herkimer-Madison BOCES

North Syracuse CSD 1,989 1,680 3,669 54.20% Yes

Orange-Ulster BOCES

Cornwall CSD 1,365 913 2,278 59.90% Yes

Marlboro CSD 734 1,266 2,000 36.70% No

Valley Central SD 2,062 2,207 4,269 48.30% Yes

Orleans-Niagara BOCES

Lewiston-Porter CSD 939 1,153 2,092 44.90% Yes

Niagara-Wheatfield CSD 1,598 1,601 3,199 50.00% Yes

Wilson CSD 414 698 1,112 37.20% Yes

Putnam-Northern Westchester BOCES

Briarcliff Manor CSD 805 763 1,568 51.30% Yes

Questar III BOCES

Cairo-Durham CSD 549 598 1,147 47.90% Yes

Rockland BOCES

East Ramapo CSD 4,895 5,400 10,295 47.50% Yes

Eastern Suffolk BOCES

East Quogue UFSD 494 340 834 59.20% Yes

Sachem CSD 6,826 5,762 12,588 54.20% Yes

South Country CSD 1,538 1,307 2,845 54.10% Yes

Western Suffolk BOCES

North Babylon CSD 1,358 1,157 2,515 54.00% Yes

Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES

South Seneca CSD 432 399 831 52.00% Yes

Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES

Minerva CSD 144 177 321 44.90% Yes

Newcomb CSD 111 104 215 51.60% Yes

Westchester BOCES

Elmsford CSD 210 236 446 47.10% Yes

Mount Vernon City SD 773 1,169 1,942 39.80% Yes

Scarsdale UFSD 1,502 1,720 3,222 46.60% Yes

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The 32 districts whose budgets were initially rejected were generally varied in regards to their Need/Resource Capacity index. The school districts classified as “High Need,” had the lowest instance of budgets defeated with only four school districts out of the 198 or 2.0% in their category failing to pass. “Average Need” school districts had 20 out of 336 or 5.9% of budgets rejected. “Low Need” school districts had the highest percent of budgets defeated with 8 out of 134 or 5.9% of budgets voted down. All but one of the school districts whose budgets were defeated the first time held a second vote on June 18 rather than

adopt a contingency budget. Remsen CSD (a high need district) and Wilson CSD (an average need district), were the only two districts out of the 31 that held revotes which were defeated a second time. When analyzing the budget results according to Need/Resource Capacity, there does not seem to be a correlation between a district’s classification and budget rejection. Since the overwhelming majority of school budgets across the state were successfully passed, rejection rates were low to begin with and spread fairly evenly across the three categories of need.

School Budget Votes Based on Need

2013-2014 Budget Defeat

High Need School Districts

Low Need School Districts

Average Need School Districts

Upstate New York Budget Results by Financial Need 2013-14

2013

2

5

6

9

4

16

17

10

3

18

15

11

7

19

14

8

12

21

22

1

Symbol DistrictHigh Need Districts with Budget Defeats

1 EAST RAMAPO CSD2 REMSEN CSD3 SOUTH SENECA CSD

Average Need Districts with Budget Defeats 4 ALDEN CSD5 BEMUS POINT CSD6 CAIRO-DURHAM CSD7 CORNWALL CSD8 ELMIRA HEIGHTS CSD9 GENERAL BROWN CSD

10 LEWISTON-PORTER CSD11 MARLBORO CSD12 MIDDLEBURGH CSD13 MINERVA CSD14 MORAVIA CSD15 NIAGARA-WHEATFIELD CSD16 NORTH SYRACUSE CSD17 TUPPER LAKE CSD18 VALLEY CENTRAL CSD19 WILSON CSD

Low Need Districts with Budget Defeats 20 CLARENCE CSD21 NEWCOMB CSD22 NISKAYUNA CSD

Upstate School Budget Results by District Financial Need 2013-2014

Based on State Education Department’s 2008 Need/Resource Capacity Index

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2013-2014 Budget Defeat

Low Need School Districts

High Need School Districts

Average Need School Districts

3

9

1 8

6

4

5

2

7

Downstate Budget Results by Financial Need 2013-14

10

11

Symbol DistrictHign Need Districts With Budget Defeats

1 East Ramapo CSD2 Mount Vernon City SD

Average Need Districts with Budget Defeats 3 Elmsford UFSD4 North Babylon UFSD5 Sachem CSD6 South Country CSD

Low Need School Districts with Budget Defeats7 Baldwin UFSD8 Briarcliff Manor UFSD9 East Quogue UFSD

10 Manhasset UFSD11 Scarsdale UFSD

Since the 2012-2013 school year, school districts have been operating under a state imposed tax cap which limits their levy increase to the lesser of 2% or the rate of inflation. However, school districts have the option to exceed the tax cap or levy limit by obtaining 60% voter approval of their budgets.

For the 2013-2014 school year, 28 school districts attempted to exceed their tax cap. Of these districts, only 7 or 25% were successful in obtaining the 60% voter approval. Thirteen of these districts succeeded in obtaining the majority vote for

passage of the budget, but were still below the 60% required to override the tax cap. If these districts were included in the budget passage rate, the statewide total would have been 97.2%, the second highest on record dating to 1969. Only three districts attempted to override their property tax levy limit for the revote on June 18. These districts were Newcomb CSD, Manhasset UFSD, and North Babylon UFSD, and all received well above the required 60% approval in the second round.

Results Compared with Tax Cap Override Requests

Downstate School Budget Results by Financial Need 2013-2014

Based on State Education Department’s 2008 Need/Resource Capacity Index

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School District Budget Passed (P) or Defeated (D)

Alexandria CSD P

Ardsley UFSD P

Baldwin UFSD D

Bay Shore UFSD P

Briarcliff Manor UFSD D

Clarence CSD D

Cornwall CSD D

East Quogue UFSD D

Elmira Heights CSD D

General Brown CSD D

Irvington UFSD P

Kiryas Joel UFSD P

Lewiston-Porter CSD D

Manhasset UFSD D

Districts with Override Requests

School District Budget Passed (P) or Defeated (D)

Minerva CSD D

Moravia CSD D

Newcomb CSD D

Niskayuna CSD D

North Babylon UFSD D

North Syracuse CSD D

Sachem UFSD D

Scarsdale UFSD D

South Colonie CSD P

South Country CSD D

South Seneca CSD D

Tupper Lake CSD D

Tuxedo SD P

Valley Central SD D

Total successful overrides 7(25%)

School District Percent Approval

Baldwin UFSD 55.80%

Briarcliff Manor UFSD 51.30%

Cornwall CSD 59.90%

East Quogue UFSD 59.20%

Elmira Heights CSD 53.40%

General Brown CSD 58.20%

Manhasset UFSD 53.30%

Moravia CSD 56.60%

Newcomb CSD 51.60%

North Babylon CSD 54.10%

North Syracuse CSD 54.20%

Sachem CSD 54.20%

South Country CSD 54.10%

Districts Seeking Override of Tax Cap That Obtained Simple Majorities but Fell Below Required 60% Approval

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Budget Result Trends in the Past Decade

School Budget Approval Percentages in Past Decade

75

80

85

90

95

100

2003-2004

2004-2005

2005-2006

2006-2007

2007-2008

2008-2009

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

2012-2013

2013-2014

School Year

Perc

enta

ge o

f Bud

gets

Pas

sed

Since the implementation of the tax cap, there has been minimal impact on the school budget passage rate as can be seen in the table below, where budget passage rates have averaged 91.8% over the last decade. However, that is not to suggest that the property tax cap has not had an impact on the budgets that school districts have prepared and submitted to their voters in the past two years since the enactment of the property tax cap.

School Year Percentage Approved

2003-2004 93.8

2004-2005 84.8

2005-2006 83.5

2006-2007 88.3

2007-2008 95.3

2008-2009 92.5

2009-2010 97.3

2010-2011 92.2

2011-2012 93.4

2012-2013 96.5

2013-2014 95.3

School Budget Approval Percentages in Past Decade

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While the percentage of school budgets initially approved in the past two years has exceeded the previous ten-year average, districts are clearly aware of the risks of proposing school budgets that exceed their property tax levy limits. It is clear that indications are such that districts attempting to override their property tax caps will not attain such high budget approval rates. As mentioned earlier, for the 2013-2014 school year, only 7 out of 28 or 25% of school budgets proposing to override their property tax caps were passed by voters. Last year, while more favorable to school districts, only 34 out of 53 or 64.2% of school districts that proposed budgets exceeding their property tax

levy limits saw their budgets approved. In sum, it would appear that there has been a chilling effect on school boards proposing budgets that exceed their property tax caps. In the past two years, only 81 or an average of less than 6% of all school districts have proposed budgets that have exceeded their respective property tax caps. At the same time, school districts across the state have overwhelmingly voiced their discontent with the property tax cap and the limitations it places on them to levy the funding needed to maintain their educational programs. Yet, there are very few school districts willing to take the risk and seek an override.

28

14

3517

24

6

71

36

2

3 1112

3021

26

20

27

1331

25

338

19

5

15

22 16

1834

9

104

23

32

2012-2013, 2013-2014 Budget Defeat

2013-2014 Budget Defeat

2012-2013 Budget Defeat

Budget Passed Both Years

Upstate New York School Budget Results for 2012-2013 and 2013-2014Symbol District

1 ALDEN2 BEMUS POINT CSD3 BOLIVAR-RICHBURG CSD4 BRIARCLIFF MANOR UFSD5 CAIRO-DURHAM CSD6 CHEEKTOWAGA-SLOAN UFSD7 CLARENCE CSD8 COBLESKILL-RICHMONDVILLE CSD9 CORNWALL CSD

10 EAST RAMAPO CSD11 ELMIRA CITY SD12 ELMIRA HEIGHTS CSD13 FONDA-FULTONVILLE CSD14 GENERAL BROWN CSD15 GERMANTOWN CSD16 HIGHLAND CSD17 LEWISTON-PORTER CSD18 MARLBORO CSD19 MIDDLEBURGH CSD20 MINERVA CSD21 MORAVIA CSD22 NEW PALTZ CSD23 NEWCOMB CSD24 NIAGARA-WHEATFIELD CSD25 NISKAYUNA CSD26 NORTH SYRACUSE CSD27 OPPENHEIM-EPHRATAH CSD28 PLATTSBURGH CITY CSD29 REMSEN CSD30 SOUTH SENECA CSD31 STILLWATER CSD32 TUPPER LAKE CSD33 UNADILLA VALLEY CSD34 VALLEY CENTRAL CSD(MONTGOMERY)35 WILSON CSD36 WYOMING CSD

29

Upstate School Budget Vote Results Since Tax Cap

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2012-2013, 2013-2014 Defeat

2013-2014 Budget Defeat

2012-2013 Budget Defeat

Budget Passed Both Years

Downstate School Budget Results for 2012-2013 and 2013-2014

14

20

6

31816

19

513

114

1

7

10

9

12

17

8

2

Symbol District1 BALDWIN UFSD2 BRIARCLIFF MANOR UFSD3 CENTER MORICHES 4 COMESEWOG UFSD5 EAST ISLIP UFSD6 EAST QUOGUE UFSD7 ELMONT UFSD 8 ELMSFORD UFSD9 FLORAL PARK-BELLROSE UFSD

10 MANHASSET UFSD11 MT SINAI UFSD12 MT VERNON CITY SD13 NORTH BABYLON UFSD14 OYSTERPONDS UFSD15 PATCHOGUE-MEDFORD UFSD16 SACHEM CSD17 SCARSDALE UFSD18 SOUTH COUNTRY CSD19 THREE VILLAGE CSD20 TUKAHOE COMMON SD

15

Downstate School Budget Vote Results Since Tax Cap

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Voter turnout for the 2013-2014 budget vote was the lowest it has been in the past seven years, with 703,999 voters participating statewide. This represents a significant (28.3%) decrease in voter turnout since the 2010-2011 budget vote, in which 981,681 voters participated. Since 2010, there has been a steady decline in overall voter turnout and since 2007-2008, statewide participation has averaged 812,670 votes per year. Throughout the past seven budget votes, the majority of voters have been overwhelmingly supportive of the budget as evidenced by the fact that school budgets statewide have achieved an average approval rate of 94.6% during those years. Moreover, votes in support of school budgets have outweighed votes against them by an average of 200,970 votes per year, or approximately 1.7 “Yes” votes for every single “No” vote.

While it may be too early to conclude, it is worth noting that voter turnout on school budgets has declined 19.8%, or 173,403 less voters since the enactment of the property tax cap. One must wonder if voters now feel school budgets and property taxes are being kept under control by the property tax cap, and therefore less reason for them to show up at the polls to vote. If this turns out to be true, and voter turnout continues to decline, the property tax cap may have the unintended consequence of stifling democracy. The exception however, is school budget votes that seek to override the property tax cap, where voter participation continues to be high. For example, of the 28 school districts that sought to override the property tax cap in 2013, 24 districts collectively saw voter participation increase from 38,594 votes in 2012 to 60,744 votes in 2013, for a 72.9% increase in voter turnout. Analysis of future voting patterns and participation will likely yield some answers.

School Budget Voter Turnout since the 2007-2008 School Year

Voter Turnout from 2007-2008 to 2013-2014

Contact: Michael J. Borges, Executive Director

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