Long Islanders should not overpay for schools

It has been nine months since the teaching-learning process has changed dramatically on Long Island and across the nation. Arguably, virtually none of this has gone well.

In a survey released by the Pew Research Center in October, parents of K-12 students learning online expressed concern over their children falling behind compared to students receiving in-person instruction only. Only 29% of the parents surveyed were very satisfied with online instruction contrasted to 54% of the parents whose children were receiving in-person instruction only. Public schools in Fairfax, Virginia, reported that the number of students receiving F grades in at least two classes jumped 83% between the end of last school year and November of this school year. Students with disabilities receiving two or more F grades doubled, and English language learners receiving two F grades or more rose by 106%. So, while the quality of education has varied widely, the cost of education has remained the same. Perhaps it is time for an educational cost adjustment.

College students have lobbied for cost and tuition reductions since late spring when many colleges and universities pivoted to online learning. Their rationale is clear: since students typically pay less for online courses than in-person instruction, students forced by the pandemic to learn online want a refund for the difference between the two. This line of cost reduction reasoning can easily be applied to K-12 education.

Property taxes on Long Island are among the highest in the country. According to the Empire Center – 2017-18 School Budget Spotlight – the average per-pupil expenditure for Nassau County was $28,942; Suffolk County was minimally lower at $27,531. When parents and others overwhelmingly approved school budgets in the spring, they did so with the expectation that September would bring normalcy back to school. But those expectations have fallen short of reality. It now looks like school voters have considerably overpaid for the product being delivered.

The issues for parents go beyond overpaying for education. Between investing in computers, tutors, and child care, family expenses have jumped 30%, according to the National Retail Federation. Those expenses have been compounded by the parents who have quit jobs to be home helping their children with remote learning; regrettably, some are unemployed as a result of pandemic-related layoffs. Parents and community members in general need financial relief. With instruction hampered by the virus, school districts have not met their obligation to provide what taxpayers expected. But while it might be difficult to provide financial relief immediately, there is plenty of time to plan for this in the very near future. School officials are already in the early stages of planning for the 2021-2022 school year. They must deliver budgets that sensibly consider these financial concerns, otherwise school budgets will be overwhelmingly defeated.

Budget planners must hold the line on expenses for the 2021-2022 school year. With state revenue down and pandemic expenses soaring, it is becoming clear that a source of school revenue – state aid – will likely face reductions. The temptation to ask local taxpayers to compensate for state aid reductions must be avoided. The majority of school spending is on people. This includes salaries and benefits of teachers, administrators and staff. Personnel contracts must be carefully negotiated or renegotiated to contain costs.

Parents and community members will not continue to overpay for education.

Philip S. Cicero is a retired superintendent of Lynbrook public schools and author of "The Seven Deadly Sins of the K-12 Education System."