Note: Richard Tjoa of Suffern won The Rockland Express “Unofficial Mayor” contest this month. He joins us as a guest blogger. Here’s his latest post
Hello, Rocklanders.
For the past two weeks, the Journal News has been running articles on proposed school district budgets and it got me thinking.
— Proposed 2010-2011 Clarkstown School district budget: $171 million
— 2010 New York Yankees payroll: About $185 million
— CCSD employees: About 850 men and women
— Yankees: 25 man roster
— CCSD work schedule: Late August through June (just over ten months), with scattered days off throughout the year.
— Yankees work schedule: March through November (nine months), unless they perform poorly, in which case they get October off, too.
I’m just throwing it out there… What do you think about these numbers?
Regards,
-Richard
In case you were wondering: Yes, I’m a fan of teachers. And the Mets. (Whose $100 million payroll would be somewhere between the Nyack and Ramapo Central budgets.)
6 Comments
CAN YOU SPELL IDIOTIC???
This so called analysis is a waste of ink. it has no validity or worth. Sure the Yankees spend a lot of money but they are a PROFIT MAKING BUSINESS.
hey pete – dude, it’s written somewhat sarcastically and to make a point about where as Americans our priorities are.
I assure you, no ink was used in the creation of this post. I would also like to point out that I never called it an analysis. In fact, I stated that I’m just “throwing it out there.” (I also neglected to separate out “salaries and benefits” from the total CCSD budget figure.)
There are very few aspects of government activity that are “profit making businesses.” Should our government start up its own profit-making businesses? (Hey, we could field our own sports team!)
Taking schools as an example, how should we go about making it “profit-making”? By charging tuition? Selling $6 hot dogs and $9 hamburgers in the cafeteria? Maybe we can auction off naming rights or teachers’ lesson plans? Or, perhaps we can build luxury skyboxes or plaster the halls with more advertising?
I’d like to hear your ideas (rather than rants).
1). Stop the unfunded mandates imposed on local SDs by the Feds and Albany
2). Critical analysis of ALL administrative costs associated with running a SD, including salaries of administrators, the actual number and roles of administrators. I would like a serious review of possible merger of SDs or at least have them work more closely in areas of shared purchasing areas.
3). A critical analysis of what I would call “bang for the buck”. Spending more per student does not = better results. Just as the healthcare industry must justify all new technologies to obatin insurance covergae and payment, I think education services must go throug a similar process.
4) If all other efforts at cost containment or revune enhancement (without tax increases) fail, then teacher salaries and jobs must be on the table for consideration
Mike, I agree with you on consolidation – but here’s the wrinkle with merging school districts – many (like myself) EXPRESSLY moved away from East Ramapo – in my case, to the wonderful Ramapo Central district, where my children could receive special services that ERCSD wouldn’t provide. If the districts merged, people like my family would be ruled by people from the private schools of airmont/monsey/new square. I live in Western Rockland. We essentially have nothing in common (private school needs-wise) with that part of the town. I’m sure that Nyack/Pearl River for example would have different needs/interests than the very large Clarkstown district. In those cases it makes sense. But, that all being said, I’m sure there’s some jobs that could be combined via attrition.
[...] of the commenters on my penultimate entry http://rockland.lohudblogs.com/2010/03/30/budget-crunch-clarkstown-schools-vs-the-yankees/ (comparing the Yankee team payroll to the CCSD school budget), brought up this point: Professional [...]