Advocate for Mandate Relief…
and Help Preserve a Rye Neck Education!
Public education in New York State has reached a critical juncture. As you undoubtedly know, the state legislature passed a “tax cap” law last June with the overall goal of limiting property tax increases. The law, as written, places many school districts throughout New York – Rye Neck included – under added financial stress, resulting in the very real possibility of having to eliminate important programs and services that students have come to depend on.
While we applaud the legislature’s efforts in trying to provide relief to taxpayers, it is our strong opinion that in order to balance the impact the tax levy cap will have on school districts, the state must provide meaningful mandate relief, as well. By doing so, districts will retain the ability to satisfy local educational needs, priorities and values.
The “Parents for Public Education Mandate Relief Committee,” a group comprised of concerned parents and citizens, has embarked on a community letter writing campaign to advocate for meaningful relief of state mandates. Change will come if the voices of taxpayers who value public education and fiscal responsibility are active and strong.
Your children’s education will benefit greatly from your thoughtful participation. To learn more about just how mandates are affecting Rye Neck, click here.
To participate in this email campaign, please click on the individual links to the letters below (NOTE: a new letter will be posted in each of the upcoming weeks), each focusing on a different aspect of mandate relief. From there, please complete the entry fields and hit “submit.”
Your “signed” letter will then automatically be sent to Senator Suzy Oppenheimer, Assemblyman George Latimer, New York State Education Commissioner King, and New York State Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch.
Transportation Mandate Relief (posted January 26)
Special Education Mandate Relief (posted February 8)
Pension/Healthcare Fiscal Reform (posted February 13)
You may also send letters to the below representatives by copying the text provided within the links and pasting them into an email from your personal account. Email addresses are as follows:
Senator George Latimer
latimerg@assembly.state.ny.us
Senator Suzy Oppenheimer
oppenhei@senate.state.ny.us
New York State Education Commissioner Dr. John King
commissioner@mail.nysed.gov
New York State Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch
regenttisch@mail.nysed.gov
Thank you for your participation in this important campaign!