At Public Budget Hearing, Parents Voice Concern Over Staff Layoffs

“Not even Mary Poppins could live in that classroom!” exclaimed a class parent at Park Avenue Elementary School.

The mother is Maria Laird, and she’s talking about her 2nd grade daughter’s overcrowded Port Chester classroom.

With the size number in her child’s homeroom having totaled 27 kids, she and other concerned parents came out to last night’s public hearing for the upcoming budget to protest the possible elimination of a supplemental teacher just added this past January.

“She had 29 kids in her 1st grade class too—and there is no way or resolving [the overcrowding problem],” she added.

Another 2nd grade parent, Juan Jose Chajon, joined Laird’s coalition as he shared a worry about the same teacher being lost—and his son’s education suffering.

“We’re a group of parents expressing concern, but also supporting the district doing something good,” he said. “We’re afraid of derailing [our children’s learning]” he added.

 This and other concerns were voiced last night at the Board of Education’s public presentation of the 2011-2012 school year budget. The official numbers have been released: $79.5 million dollars in expenditures and a 3.31 percent tax levy, but a lot of folks came out tonight because they wanted to know how exactly those numbers will affect their own tax bills.

That cost will be “really driven by the value of your house; how pie gets split up is based on value of your homes,” reminded Board of Education President, Jim Taylor.

‘But how can you calculate that yourself?’ many wondered.

Here to help out was the Town Assessor, Mitchell Markowitz, who explained just how to calculate your taxes for the upcoming year.

Readers: First, using the property’s full market value for 2010, deduct the Basic STAR or enhanced STAR exemption. Then divide by $1,000 to get your assessed value per $1,000 basis. Then multiply by $14.446, the projected homestead tax rate. He instructed those who have questions about their property value to call 1-888-844-4300 or visit the town of Rye's website for more information.

Other folks came out because they felt the assessed values on their properties--which are determined by the selling prices of local homes— is an unrealistic portrayal of the financial situation in Port Chester.

Goldie Solomon, a longtime resident and taxpayer pointed out that there several vacant houses and businesses that have not been sold and will paint an incorrect picture of village wealth—and deter new folks from moving in.

“We’re a poor to medium income community. A lot of houses haven’t even being sold yet because taxes are too high,” she said.

The budget vote for the 2011-2012 school budget will be Tuesday, May 17 from 7a.m. until 9p.m. at Port Chester Middle School.