By JUDY RATTNER and ANDREW HACKMACK
The rally was organized by Long Island-s Senate majority delegation, and spearheaded by Deputy Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre). Dr. William Johnson, superintendent of Rockville Centre schools, and Mark Masin and Lorrie Brady from the Board of Education were among those representing the district at the demonstration.
We want our fair share, many chanted as they held up signs that read, Underfunded overtaxed, LI Schools a Smart Investment, SOS Save Our Schools, Fair Share for LI Schools and Gov. Spitzer: Cut Taxes, Not School Funds.
As music blasted from speakers mounted on a truck, the event got under way. Skelos took to a microphone and introduced the fair share message that became the protest-s oft-repeated refrain. He thanked the crowd for attending and pledged to work to maintain the quality education our students deserve, and get the real property tax relief their parents deserve.
This is about our kids, and we want to make sure they have all the opportunities we had, Skelos said.
He promised that local elected officials would partner with the regional groups at the rally. Calling it a united team effort, Skelos said that, together, Long Islanders would overcome the slashed state school aid that eventually would result in property tax increases which already overburdened taxpayers cannot afford. This is a critical battle with the politicians and the governor, he told the crowd.
Sen. Kemp Hannon offered some disturbing numbers. He pointed out that while 17 percent of New York State-s school-age children are enrolled in Long Island schools, the region has traditionally received less than 13 percent of state school aid. Next year, Long Island schools are slated to receive only 8.2 percent of overall state aid. Those figures drew loud boos from the crowd.
Skelos noted that Long Island-s business community understands that today-s students are that community-s future. When we educate our kids and when we send them to college, he said, we want them to come back.
John Durso, president of the 250,000-member Long Island Federation of Labor, spoke on behalf of working men and women who are already burdened by high taxes. How many millionaires are out there today? Durso asked. No one responded. That-s what I thought.
This is not about downstate, upstate, it-s about our communities and our kids and our fair share, he said.
Matt Crosson, president of the Long Island Association, a business and civic organization, noted that 60 percent of the school districts whose state funding was cut are on Long Island, and that two-thirds of the districts on the Island received funding increases of only 2 percent. He disputed Spitzer-s recent remark about interest-driven sectionalism, saying it wasn-t selfish for Long Island to ask for its fair share.
Gracemarie Rozea, director of the Nassau Region PTA, made one of the most passionate speeches. She praised the high quality of education that students on Long Island already receive, but said that schools must be funded properly for such achievement to continue.
Rozea said that local leaders have gone to bat for Long Island in the past, and she has no doubt they will do so again this year as they finalize the 2008-09 state budget. Together, Rozea explained, Long Island-s lawmakers and citizens must call on the disconnected statewide leader in Albany to do what-s right. We must make sure our children are not left behind, she said, and we will do so by getting our fair share. Our children are relying on us.
Long Island is not a cash cow to be used to supplement the rest of the state, Rozea continued, urging the audience to get the word out and to call, write and e-mail their local leaders and state officials in Albany. Please listen to us, Governor Spitzer, we are strong, she said. We are telling [you] loud and clear that we demand and deserve our fair share.
Zuha Gazi, a high school student in Half Hollow Hills, said that there is a misconception in Albany that everyone on Long Island is wealthy. People-s wealth, she said, is in the equity of their homes, not in cash. That makes it especially difficult for Long Islanders to pay their property tax bills, which average $16,000.
Craig Workman, another Half Hollow Hills senior who is a member of his school-s Legislative Committee, said, It-s not our intention to take funding away from New York City or upstate. He said there was a warped perception of Long Island-s school districts and that it was time that regional costs, which are 50 percent higher on Long Island than in the rest of the state, were taken into account.
Sachem School District teacher Diane Hettrich, representing New York State United Teachers, said the governor has proposed a record $1.5 billion increase in funding for education throughout the state, yet many Long Island districts are seeing cuts.
There is still a month until the April 1 state budget deadline, Hettrich told the crowd, so there is time to make their voices heard. It is imperative that the Legislature and governor achieve a budget that supports children, she said.
Skelos said he was extremely pleased by the turnout at the rally, and that it shows Long Islanders care about their schools. It may be cold out here today, he said, but we-re going to turn the heat up on our governor.
And Johnson said, It-s hard to argue with the senators. We need our fair share.
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