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Educational News
 

Sources of Financial Support for Public Schools
 
 


Local
Real
Estate
Tax


  The highest percentage of school district revenue comes from local taxes on real estate.  Property 
  taxes must make up the difference between costs and all other sources of revenue.  Rejection of
  a district’s budget by voters has little effect on final property tax rates.  When a budget is
  rejected, the school board must adopt a contingency budget which includes all contracted wages
  and benefits—the major cost items.

  Real estate tax rates are not determined until the assessment rolls are closed in July or
  August and tax levies are set by the board of education.

 


Sales
Tax


  Monroe County is one of only six counties in NYS to allocate a portion of sales tax revenues
  to public education.  Monroe County allocates more for education from sales tax revenues
  than any other county in the state.  Under the Morin-Ryan Plan, 16.39% of sales tax
  revenues are distributed to suburban school districts, and the Rochester City School District
  receives 36%.  School districts now also receive a portion of a 1% increase of the sales tax
  from 7% to 8%.

  Distribution of sales tax revenues to suburban districts is based on student enrollment, and
  therefore varies from year to year.  In 1997-98, this amounted to approximately
  $40,570,000—or about $325.60 per pupil.

 


State
Aid 
to
Education

 
  New York State Aid to Education is the second largest block of financial support for the
  state’s public school districts.  Districts continue to seek increases in State Aid because it is
  supported by income taxes, which are more equitable than local real estate taxes.  In times
  of relative economic stability or growth, the state traditionally assumes a higher percentage
  of education costs, thereby relieving the burden on local property taxes.

 


Federal
Aid
to
Education
  The United States government directs aid to schools for specific purposes. 

  *  For years it has provided free and reduced-price lunches for children of families with
      limited incomes, and has a good record of actually funding this program. 

  *  In the mid 1970s the federal government created mandates requiring districts to provide
      expensive services to students with special educational needs.  When this law was first
      passed, districts were assured that the federal government would fund the program at the
      40% level; this support has never exceeded 17%. 

  *  In 2001 the federal government approved the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) which
      requires districts to spend whatever resources needed to make adequate annual progress
      in every area of academics as part of its wide-ranging program to achieve educational
      reform.  Again, the legislation promised financial support that has yet to materialize.
 

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© 2003 by [Monroe County School Boards Association]. All rights reserved.

Monroe County School Boards Association
1250 Scottsville Road, Suite 5A
Rochester, NY 14624
(585) 328-1972
FAX (585) 328-2494

e-mail contact: Judy_Wadsworth@boces.monroe.edu