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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey . April 14, 2016:

Centro Hispano in cooperation with the White Plains City School District held a supper and information session  for the Latino community last night at Centro Hispano in support of Dual Language instruction beginning in autumn, 2017 in the White Plains kindergarten class through 8^th grade and possibly beyond.

An observer at the meeting said over 100 persons, majority Latinos, attended the sessions. Elementary School parents were advised of this by a flyer that went home with children across the elementary schools. There was no notice of this advance meeting with Centro Hispano on the White Plains Board of Education website

Another session or Town Meeting is scheduled to be held again at Centro Hispano in Spanish April 28.

Meanwhile this evening the first of two Town Meetings on Dual or Bilingual Instruction will be held at the high school, Room B-1 at 7 PM and again Monday, the 19^th at 7 PM, and the second Centro Hispano session April 28

The event was described by person who attended as a “rally” for Dual Language for the Latino community.

It featured the White Plains Superintendent of Schools Paul Fried and Assistant Superintendent  for Curriculum and Instruction, Jessica O’Donovan, who welcomed the parents.

The meeting was taken  up by what was described by the WPCNR observer as “a few of the Spanish teachers from the White Plains Middle School” who addressed the predominantly Spanish-speaking crowd in Spanish extolling the values of the Dual Language program that has been in place at Post Road School and George Washington School for 9 years.

The teachers’ remarks were not translated into English.  The Principal of Post Road School, Jesimae Ossorio addressed the audience talking about the success of the dual language program at Post Road School. At one point one of the speakers expressed the exhortation, “Dual Language…Si!”

The dual language consideration is part of the efforto the district to comply with new State regulation 154 requiring New York  special instruction courses in grades where more than 20% of students speaking the same foreign language  receive instructions in English based on their foreign language. The compliance can be the school district choice. The White Plains School District feels Dual Language is the best solution at this time.

A skeptical parent speaking on condition of anonymity observed that, despite being asked by parents a number of times,  “the school district has offered no comparison, of the performances of dual language students with students who are English Language learners in bilingual instruction courses in the three elementary schools where dual language is not offered (Mamaroneck Avenue School, Ridgeway School, and Church Street School).”

The source troubled said “Spanish speaking parents have chosen to go to those three non dual language schools because the parents did not want dual language instruction. Those Spanish parents say, ‘we can teach our children Spanish at home. We want them to learn English.’ ”

Dr. Fried, the School Superintendent,  gave an overview of where adopting Dual Language stands as an answer to the District responsibilities under Section 154 responsibilities in his presentation on Dual Language which can be seen at Dual Language Program Presentation to the BOE on 4/4/16

In that presentation Dr. Fried ,made it clear Dual Language appeared to be teaching English Language Learners with the same success rate as non-English Language learners, based on  passing rates on ELA assessments (32%) being essentially the same as those not in Dual Language classes. However it did not break out bilingual learner performance.

The source also revealed told me that Dual Language courses do not necessarily have an equal number of English speaking students and an equal number of English Language learners. One dual language class only had 3 English speaking students, they said. If what the source says is correct then Dual Language is not exactly following the model as originally described.

It is unclear whether parents remove English speaking students from dual language after being in it for several years and if so, why. The district has not provided previously the dropout rate for dual language classes as they progressed through the grades, and whether there even is a dropout rate.

The source also told WPCNR parents are attempting to get clarification from the State Education  Department as to exactly what school districts have to provide and when they have to have it in place.

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PETER KATZ, JOHN BAILEY, JIM BENEROFE 

ON

THE SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER OPT OUT ELECTRICITY SUPPLY PROMOTION AND HOW IT AFFECTS WHITE PLAINS

THE CITY BUDGET PROPOSES LOWEST TAX INCREASE IN 16 YEARS. HOW ABOUT THAT?

THE LOUSY WEATHER

MINIMUM WAGE AND FAMILY LEAVE

THE NEW TAXI RATES AND REGULATIONS

ON

www.whiteplainsweek.com

AND ON YOUTUBE AT

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ON PEOPLE TO  BE HEARD,

JIMMIE MORRICONE

WHITE PLAINS LIMO DRIVER, MOVIE PRODUCER

AN EXPERT ON THE TAXI AND LIMO SITUATION IN WESTCHESTER

TALKS

UBER

AS THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE TAKES UP WHETHER TO REQUIRE UBER TO BE LICENSED IN THE COUNTY.

IS UBER WRONG FOR WESTCHESTER OR RIGHT?

IS UBER SAFE FOR THE PUBLIC?

WHAT ARE THE COSTS?

WITH JOHN BAILEY SEE IT AT 7  SATURDAY EVENING ON

CHANNEL 45 VERIZON FIOS COUNTYWIDE

OR

ON WHITE PLAINS CABLEVISION CHANNEL 76

OR

GO TO

www.wpcommunitymedia.org

to see the program NOW

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CITY RAISES BUDGET $4.6M T0 $183.8 MILLION, AN INCREASE OF 2.6%, HOLDING TAX RATE TO $200.95

TAX RATE UP 21 CENTS 1/10 OF 1%!

WPCNR QUILL AND EYESHADE By John F. Bailey. April 4, 2016:

The White Plains city administration presented the 2016-2017 proposed City Budget to the Common Council this evening with a $183.8 Million budget raising property taxes 1/10^th of 1 percent—the lowest tax increase since  before WPCNR started covering  the city finances (2000-2001).

In 2000-2001 the city tax rate per $1000 of assessed valuation was $91.48/M on a budget of $86,145,700 and now 16 years later it will be $200.95 per $1000 of assessed valuation on a budget of $183.9 Million.

The city Budget Director Michael A. Genito and Fiscal Advisor, Eileen Bradley presented a budget that rises $4.6 Million to $183.8 Million (a 2.6% increase from the $179.2 Million of 2015-16, (now in its 9th month)

However, the city has offset the increase with increases in licenses and permits of $1.6 Million and charges for services of $1.8 Million, (including an increase of 10% in parking permits).

The city plans a $5.1 Million appropriation to the general fund from the Tax Stabilization account which can only be used  “to address either a significant and unforeseen shortfall in a major revenue source; provide funding for a significant and unforeseen increase in expenditures and/or be appropriated in the adoption of an annual budget to reduce a property tax levy increase to no more than 2-1/2%. Section 68 of the City Charter further prohibits the Common Council from appropriating an amount in excess of the balance reported in the account at the close of the prior fiscal year.” The city transfers approximately this amount each year, which is why the Tax Stabilization Fund, created by a transfer of sales tax revenues each year, has not grown significantly.

The city says that the city tax rate will go up just 21 cents per thousand dollars of assessed valuation, an increase of less than 1/10 of a percent.

The city says this will amount to a $3 (yes, $3 dollars) in city property taxes for the median home assessed at $13,600 assessed value.

The budget allows for all anticipated step raises and future negotiated contracts yet to be determined in the Reserve for Financing. The city is facing demands from three unions that are without a contract the fire union, the CSEA and the Teamsters mostly demanding parity with the police settlement through 2018 for 2%, 2-1/8% and 2.5%. According to the budget presented this evening the settlements the city anticipates are covered.

The city says sales taxes will decrease 2.4% to $45.1 million, though if March, April May and June sales receipts equal last year’s totals ($16 Million), the sales tax “take” will be approximately $54 Million, which would be an all-time high for the city.  The  city is forced by the Charter not to count revenue they have not taken in beyond the end of the last fiscal year.

The city budget document reports this the fifth year the city has proposed a budget within the New York State Tax Cap which this year plumetted to 1% of tax levy increase allowed. the tax levy is $56.3 Million (including the Business Improvement District) and is under the state levy cap by $13,000.
It is interesting to note that sixteen years ago in 2000-2001 the city tax rate per $1000 of assessed valuation was $91.48/M on a budget of $86,145,700 and now 16 years later it will be $200.95 per $1000 of assessed valuation on a budget of $183.9 Million.

The tax increases by the city in the last two years and the proposed 1/10 of 1% proposed for 2016-17 are the lowest in the last 16 years when increases averaged 5% a year.