Former Assembly Candidate Organizes Petition Drive For More Seaford School Funding

With the Seaford School District losing $1.5 million in state aid this year leading to the highest tax levy increase in Nassau County and a budget proposal last month, some community member are fighting back trying to get Albany’s attention.

Former Seaford Board of Education vice president John Brooks, who Assemblyman David McDonough, R-Merrick, last November, is helping to lead a petition drive aimed at state lawmakers to alert them of the fact that Seaford is not getting the state aid support other districts receive. 

Brooks addressed residents at the May 23 Seaford Board of Education meeting and May 26 meeting about the low amount of state aid Seaford receives and his efforts to wake Albany up with a petition drive. Brooks has also met with PTA leaders, who are helping to organize an online petition drive to state lawmakers.

One of the unique challenges Seaford faces that Brooks has been emphasizing is the fact that the district only gets around 10 percent of its tax revenue from businesses. Brooks also points out that Seaford is constantly faced with having to propose a higher tax levy than its proposed budget despite having among the lowest spending per pupil, and teacher and administrative salaries in Nassau County.

“The system is broken,” said Brooks during the May 23 school board meeting. “Seaford has carried a burden for too long.”

The petition drive spearheaded by Brooks has involved sending spirited yet respectful letters to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, State Sen. Charles Fuschillo, R-Merrick and Assemblyman McDonough. Brooks met last week with an aid to Gov. Cuomo and he said the governor's  staff has acknowledged receiving plenty of correspondence from Seaford residents about its lack of funding.

Brooks said he is hopeful that some state funding can be restored to Seaford to allow the district to reduce its tax levy, which is the total amount that must be raised in property taxes in order to meet expenses. The Seaford voters will be deciding on June 21 represents an 8.35 percent tax levy. If the budget fails and the district is forced to operate on austerity, the tax levy would still rise over 8 percent. 

The drive to get add additional funding to Seaford comes as the state legislature considers passing Gov. Cuomo’s proposed 2 percent tax cap, which if passed would take effect on districts starting with the 2012/13 school year. The petition letter organized by Brooks says that in order for Seaford to be in line with Cuomo's goal of raising taxes only 2 percent, the district would need an additional $3 million this year.  

For further information on the petition drive organized by Brooks click here.