Agudath Israel of America expresses deep concern regarding the recent decision by Commissioner of Education Dr. Betty Rosa to significantly and unilaterally raise the tax levy upon the predominantly Orthodox Jewish district of East Ramapo, New York.
The tax levy — the highest increase in memory — raises East Ramapo’s already high property taxes by a whopping 5.38% instead of 1%, the increase legitimately decided by the voters of East Ramapo and its elected school board.
The state Commissioner interceded in the local matter at the behest of a taxpayer, supported by the NAACP, who was concerned that the suggested budget would be insufficient for public school needs. The Commissioner’s order conceded that her intervention here was “extraordinary” in response to the contention that the move would effectively “permit any taxpayer to challenge any action by any board… including whenever they do not agree with the budget.”
The East Ramapo school board, which can be removed by the Commissioner, had little choice but to approve the Commissioner’s actions last week, but stated that it did so under protest.
A particularly dangerous aspect of the Commissioner’s order is its framing of the events as neglectful or malicious actions taken by a white (Jewish), private school (yeshiva) attending majority against a Black and Hispanic, underprivileged, public-school attending minority. While assuredly not the intent, this rhetoric only inflames already dangerous racial tensions and antisemitism and does nothing to solve the issue.
Agudath Israel has argued, publicly and recently, that the state’s formula to fund districts and public schools (Foundation Aid) is fundamentally flawed and at fault here. It does not account at all for nonpublic school students, even though the district is required to supply certain services to all children. Given the unique demographics of East Ramapo, where most children attend yeshiva, the district has, naturally, experienced budgetary shortfalls.
“In effect,” said Rabbi Shragi Greenbaum, Agudah’s Rockland Regional Director, “instead of appreciating parents who, at great personal sacrifice, self-fund their children’s education, saving the state nearly a half a billion dollars annually in this district alone, the state has enacted punitive tax levies to compensate for a broken formula.”
To be clear, Agudath Israel supports properly funding public schools. All children deserve the facilities and resources to succeed. But the funds to accomplish that ought to come from the state legislature, not through an unprecedented, unilateral tax levy imposed by the Commissioner of Education.
Agudath Israel therefore urges the state to resolve the deficiency at its heart. The state must act in the best interest of public-school and nonpublic school children alike and fix the formula, instead of usurping the voice, and further taxing the pocketbooks of, East Ramapo’s Jewish residents.
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8 Responses
Taxation without representation!
What is a school board worth if the commissioner can remove them.
How can an unelected commissioner raise taxes on her own?
Mind boggling!
What happened to the democracy that the “Democratics” are supposedly busy saving?
I second the (e)motion of Uncle Ben.This is clearly a case of taxation without representation.
On practically every issue the commissioners overrule the (Orthodox) members of the board. Including programs that would benefit special needs children in the community.
The solution has been suggested many times. We need to flood the public school system with the tens of thousands of students they don’t account for. They will fix things REAL quick!
Many saw this coming years ago. The Frum diverted millions to their causes. The Heimish board members already decided what was gonna happen before Non-Jewish citizens even spoke. You can see the smiles (holding back laughter) of derision as they listen because they forced too without the slightest open mind to really listen or care or change anything.
This is a major cause of Antisemitism. What the Frum board members did was so brazen & done so arrogantly. They didn’t try to come to an equitable arrangement. They took every penny possible while laughing as they did it
With the rulings against them they knew they should’ve fixed things before it got worse but they didn’t care. They were addicted to the money flowing to the Jewish schools & felt they were invincible.
What’s another major cause of Antisemitism? When Yidden act with brazen arrogance against Non-Jews & when it’s time to pay the piper start crying that they’re the real victim.
Why is the Aguda not suing the unelected commissioner for taxation without representation? Why does not the school board have enough guts to all resign, thereby leaving no school board to pass this illegal action?
1. If the same rules are applied to all other school districts in the state, it isn’t a violation of equal protection.
2. If the formula is flawed, that can be challenged.
3. Given New York’s anti-frum attitudes (at least among Democrats), why do frum Jews live there.
UncleMo,
“The solution has been suggested many times.”
But never implemented because it doesn’t work. Whose pocket would this extra expense come from? The principal? The teachers? The head of NYS education?
The Governor? Added expenses are added expenses to a massive NY budget. Do you hear the state complaining about all the children of illegal immigrants adding a ton of extra expenses to the school system budget?
Also, let’s say they announce that we can’t take all children now but we can take 5,000 this year. Your child is registered for public school which means legally your child must be on the school bus & in class with Non-Jews, boys & girls, learning who knows what. Or will you cancel at the last minute showing how Yidden act. We had no intention of actually sending our kids to the public school & we also had no problem with causing them to spend millions of dollars & countless hours processing new students, finding new locations, buying equipment, hiring new principals & teachers, etc. So the whole registering of these Jewish kids was a scam by the Jews to try to get us to give them money for their Yeshivas.
Mi Kaamcha Yisroel!!!
(But when the backlash comes & it will come we’ll do the usual & play the Antisemitism card)
Kuvult, what is equitable about the taxpayers having to fund public schools that they don’t use? The taxpayers elected the board to represent THEIR interest, and it is right and just and equitable that they extract as much as they can of those tax dollars to serve those taxpayers. Any service that the board can provide for yeshivah students and/or parents, it should, and that SHOULD come at the expense of the public schools, until the taxpayers are getting their money’s worth, which we all know will never happen.
“To be clear, Agudath Israel supports properly funding public schools.”
Then the Agudah is wrong. Public schools should be abolished. There is no moral justification for their existing in the first place, nor does it make economic sense. Instead all students should receive equal vouchers to be used at private schools.