WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR NEWS AND COMMENT From Kimberly Green and the Online Colleges website. Reprinted with Permission. August 15, 2013:

Student Debt in the U.S. (Part 1)

This is our first article in a three-part series about the nation’s ever-rising student debt levels. The second and third entries will look at student debt from a historical perspective and explore some of the potential consequences of the debt crisis, respectively.

As college costs spiral upwards, unpaid student debt has reached a record high of $1 trillion, slowing down economic growth and causing many young individuals to lose control of their finances. Many politicians, media outlets, and educators are focusing on cuts to state and federal subsidies as the reason behind these astronomical tuition hikes. But while this may be true in cases, it’s not that simple.

Paradoxically, many studies have found the opposite to be true: as federal and state subsidies increase, colleges and universities actually charge more for tuition, exacerbating the student debt crisis. Here we will trace the problem back two decades, examine funding trends and college costs to pinpoint what exactly is behind tuition increases.

Student Debt: The Last 20 Years

The rise in student debt is by no means a new phenomenon – borrowing has gone up every year since 1993. According to the National Center of Education Statistics, average (student) debt began to creep up in 1993, making small jumps from an average of $10,000 per student until it had doubled to $20,000 twelve years later. Then it began to increase very sharply. By 2013, the average debt per borrower hit $30,000.

The rise in borrowing naturally correlates with increasing college costs. The average yearly tuition and room-and-board in 1990-1991 was $8,485 at a public 4-year institution. By 2010, that had leapt up 83%, reaching an average of $15,605 per year.

Concern over this upwards spiral is all over the news, as unpaid loans take a major toll on the economy. And many are worried this is just the beginning.

Tuition rates are predicted to rise over the next two decades, with costs hitting $41,228 per year for in-state public tuition and $92,869 for private colleges in 2029. This ridiculous level of debt could not be sustained by parents in stable careers, much less by students with poor financial history. So why is this happening?

Cuts to State Spending

Budget cuts brought on by the recent recession have taken their toll on the American education system, pushing more students and lenders to take up the slack. Incremental cuts have caused education allocations to drop since 2008, with thirty-six states decreasing funds by more than 20%. As a nationwide average, states cut their education spending by 28% from 2008 to 2013, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Some states have suffered deeper cut more than others. Washington and Florida now provide the lowest amounts of support for their public universities. Spending per student was just about $6,000 for these two states in 2010, barely over half the amount allotted to students in states like Hawaii, Connecticut or Arkansas that year, according to the Department of Education.

When states cut education budgets, where exactly does this money end up? The National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) has identified great leaps in Medicaid spending, growing from 22.2% of state expenditures in 2010 to 23.9 in 2012. During the same time period, education spending dropped from 20.4% to 19.8%. NASBO projects that funding will become even more difficult to allocate toward education in upcoming years, due to long-term healthcare demands and pensions.

State funding for education may eventually climb out of the recession pit, as legislators anticipate upcoming economic growth. The Chronicle of Higher Education describes how California governor Jerry Brown is trying to raise expenditures from 4% to 6% in the upcoming year, but it will probably be quite some time before students feel the effects. Moody’s Investors Service still sees massive cuts to key areas like research on the horizon, so wary colleges probably won’t be loosening their budgets any time soon.

Federal Subsidies for Student Tuition

Surprisingly, increases to government spending have also contributed in some real ways to the rising sticker price of a college education. The vast majority of college students who have filed a FAFSA know there is a range of grants and loans available to cover their bills. And of course, these funds are indispensable for the tens of thousands of students who need them in order to attend school. That said, increased funding availability does lead to an increase in price; the more students are given to help pay for college, the more they are willing to spend, and consequently, the more colleges can charge.

A 2012 report by the College Board makes it very easy to see how dramatic rises in tuition mirror sharp increases in federal student aid. The government awarded just around $17 billion in total federal grants (including Pell, LEAP, military, and several others) in 2001. This amount exploded up to $49 billion by 2011. This makes for a 185% increase within a ten-year span.

A very similar trend occurred with federal loans, which jumped from a yearly total of around $47.8 billion to $105 billion over the same period. While enrollment in college-level degree programs rose during this time, graduation rates fell. And unsurprisingly, the number of for-profit secondary institutions also multiplied.

This is a tricky situation. We all agree that deserving students should be granted more, not less, access to higher education and no one wants schools to have to reduce their enrollments or the quality of the educations they offer due to falling budgets. But if we want to lower the burdens on students, schools and taxpayers, we need to focus on allocating federal student aid and loans in a way that isn’t accelerating rises in tuition costs.

So if both cutting and raising government funding makes the student debt situation worse, what is the solution? The question is not about raising or lowering spending, but rather how the money is spent. Heaping thousands of dollars in subsidized loans on young borrowers to cover exorbitant education costs is not the answer, but neither is cutting support for important academic research. It’s a complex equation, but until it’s figured out young graduates are going to be bearing a heavy financial burden.

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ArtsWestchester, the City of White Plains, and the White Plains BID will presenting the White Plains JazzFest 2013 from Friday, Sept. 6 thru Sunday, Sept. 8.

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WPCNR WATER NEWS. By John F. Bailey. August 10, 1013:

Earlier this week, David Simms, spokesperson for the Westchester County Department of Communications, told  WPCNR  the lawsuit filed in Federal Court in White Plains by the U.S. Attorney’s Office  alleging the county of violating the was “ a complete surprise to the county,” and that White Plains and Scarsdale drinking water is safe because the EPA has never cited the water as being unsafe to drink (as a result of the ultraviolet testing failure to comply as of yet).

Simms added that the county had told the EPA they would be unable to meet the deadline of putting ultraviolet treatment into effect because the cost of running a line to the Mount Pleasant reservoir to bring White Plains and Scarsdale ultraviolet-treated water was approximately $100 Million and the county was seeking a less expensive solution. Simms said the county never heard back from the EPA.

Herbert Hadad, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, told WPCNR  the law suit filed Tuesday   being a surprise  was not exactly true.

Hadad said the U.S. Attorney’s office had been in  discussions with the county on issues concerning the county’s being charged with violating the Safe Drinking Water Act.

The exact charge in the suit accuses the county that  “Westchester, through its Water District No. 1, has failed  to comply with an SDWA rule that requires municipal drinking water suppliers to treat all unfiltered surface water for Cryptosporidium, a microscopic parasite. Cryptosporidium can cause cryptosporidiosis, a potentially fatal gastrointestinal illness in humans with symptoms that include diarrhea, nausea and abdominal cramps. There is no known treatment for cryptosporidiosis, and symptoms may persist for two weeks  or longer in otherwise healthy adults and can be life-threatening for more vulnerable individuals.”

Simms, confronted with this comment from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, acknowledged that in December of 2012, eight months ago, the county was presented with a consent order by the Department of Justice that the County was asked to sign admitting they had failed to comply with the ultraviolet light treatment directive and had missed the deadline for compliance. Simms told WPCNR, the county refused to sign the consent order because the county attorneys objected to the county being described as a purveyor of  water, which is actually purchased from New York City, or a supplier, or seller of water.

Simms acknowledged that negotiations over what he described as  legal definitions and “standing”. Simms said the county also did not want to sign a consent order acknowledging non-compliance and opening itself up to massive fines, over

Last month, Simms said Deputy County Executive Kevin Plunkett went to the Environmental Protection Agency and explained the $5 Million solution the county has devised to run a spur line from the Kensico Dam Delaware Acqueduct to White Plains and Scarsdale to bring the county into compliance.

Simms said at that time Mr. Plunkett asked the EPA for an extension to implement the $5 Million plan, which Plunkett explained in detail. Simms told WPCNR the plan, if the County Board of Legislators passed the funding request (which Simms said the County Board has had since April), could be completed by next summer.

Simms said the EPA did not react one way or another to Plunkett’s request  for an extension. The county, Simms said had already made fixes to Yonkers and Mount Vernon the other two  communities in District 1.

The next thing that happened was the filing of the law suit August 7.

WPCNR asked Environmental   Protection Agency spokesman, John Martin why the EPA would not grant an extension for the county to implement the treatment, and why since the county has devised a solution, would it not withdraw its lawsuit, and set up a timetable for the compliance. Mr. Martin said the EPA would not comment because the suit is a Justice Department matter.

He referred me to Herbert Hadad, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  I asked Hadad if once a U.S. Suit was brought, whether it had to be decided by a Judge who manufactures a settlement , and brought to a conclusion, or whether the originating plaintiff could asked the U.S. Attorney’s Office to drop the suit, or settle the suit by setting up a terms of compliance.

I also asked him if the EPA and the Justice Department would declare the White Plains water and Scarsdale water “safe” to drink  at this time.

Haddad said,  “The Office declines to comment.”

The suit has to be responded to by the county within 21 days (approximately August 28).

Simms said the county would be seeking a dismissal bec;ause the county feels it has no “standing” in the matter; is not a seller of water; and does not own the water, and would argue the suit “has no merit.”

Fines if imposed, on the county from April 2012, if the “fix” was completed by summer, 2014, would amount to 790 days which would equal $30 Million. (at $37.50 a day), still about $70 Million less expensive than the original running of pipe to Mt. Pleasnt solution,

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Sylvia Muccio
of Team Image. At the Synchronized Skating Championships, 2008 when she coached Team Image to 4th Place in the Intermediate National Championship. In 2009, Her team won the National Intermediate Championship
1958-2013

Sylvia J. Muccio, of Tarrytown, passed away with her family by her side on Wednesday August 7th, after a long battle with cancer.  She was 55 years old.

Sylvia was born on July 14,  1958 in Chicago to her beloved parents Eugene and Patricia (nee Zbikowski) Taglialavore. She arrived in New York in 1983 from Chicago and changed the skating community as we know it.

She introduced Synchronized Skating to the New York Metro Area.  She began her coaching career at the E.J. Murrays Skating Center, Yonkers, New York, where she collaborated with others to create elaborate skating shows which then began the introduction of the art of Synchronized Skating to young skaters and founded Team Image Synchronized Skating in 1987.

Sylvia is survived by her loving husband, Stephen M. Muccio, of 29 years, her children, Anthony and Nicole.  She is also survived by her beloved parents and siblings, Antoni &  Joseph Taglialavore and  her sister Stella Carmasine, as well as her 5 nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Sylvia J. Muccio Scholarship Fund to be established.

Funeral Mass Saturday 10 AM at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, Elmsford, NY with cremation to follow at Ferncliff Cemetery, Hartsdale. The family will be present on Friday from 2-4 & 7-9 PM at F. Ruggiero & Sons, Inc.-732 Yonkers Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10704 (914)-375-1400 www.ruggieroandsonsfh.com

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From the New York State Education Department. August 7, 2013:

State Education Commissioner John B. King, Jr. today released the results of the April 2013 grades 3-8 math and English Language Arts (ELA) assessments.

This year’s state assessments are the first for New York students to measure the Common Core Learning Standards that were adopted by the State Board of Regents in 2010.  King said that, as expected, the percentage of students deemed proficient is significantly lower than in 2011-12.

This change in scores – which will effectively create a new baseline of student learning – is largely the result of the shift in the assessments to measure the Common Core Standards, which more accurately reflect students’ progress toward college and career readiness.

King emphasized that the results do not reflect a decrease in performance for schools or students.  The new assessments are a better, more accurate tool for educators, students, and parents as they work together to address the rigorous demands of the Common Core and college and career readiness in the 21st century.

“The world has changed, the economy has changed, and what our students need to know has changed,” Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch said.  “These scores reflect a new baseline and a new beginning. We have just finished the first year of a dramatic shift in teaching and learning.  Teachers, principals, superintendents and school boards have worked extraordinarily hard to implement the Common Core.  With the right tools, the right training, and continuous feedback and support, our teachers –the best teaching force in the country — will make sure all our students are prepared for college and career success in the 21st century.

“Our students face very real challenges.  But it’s better to have our students challenged now – when teachers and parents are there to help – than frustrated later when they start college or try to find a job and discover they are unprepared.”

“These proficiency scores do not reflect a drop in performance, but rather a raising of standards to reflect college and career readiness in the 21st century,” King said.  “I understand these scores are sobering for parents, teachers, and principals. It’s frustrating to see our children struggle.  But we can’t allow ourselves to be paralyzed by frustration; we must be energized by this opportunity.  The results we’ve announced today are not a critique of past efforts; they’re a new starting point on a roadmap to future success.

“We all share the same goal: to make sure all students in New York have the skills and knowledge to be successful in college and careers.  With the Common Core, we’re building a ladder toward that goal; the assessment scores are a measure of where our students are on that ladder and give us a clearer, more accurate picture of the climb ahead.”

King said these new results are consistent with other indicators of the college and career readiness of New York State students including the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), New York State student performance on the SAT and PSAT, and college and career ready scores on New York State’s high school Regents exams.

King noted that the scores will not negatively impact district, school, principal, or teacher accountability. 

No new districts will be identified as Focus Districts and no new schools will be identified as Priority schools based on 2012-13 assessment results.  The student growth scores used in teacher and principal evaluation result in similar proportions of educators earning each rating category (Highly Effective, etc) for student growth in 2012-13 as 2011-12.  The State provided growth scores to be used in teacher and principal evaluations are based on year-to-year comparisons for similar students.

Earlier this month, King sent a memo to school district superintendents, urging them to recognize that this is the first year of the new assessments and recommending judicious and thoughtful use of each measure of the State’s multiple measures evaluation system.

2017 the Target for Meeting the Standard

In addition, the Department is providing guidance for districts to ensure that students are not negatively impacted by the new proficiency rates.  The first cohort of students required to pass Common Core-aligned Regents exams for high school graduation will be the class of 2017.    The Board of Regents has asked the Department to adjust its guidance on Academic Intervention Services (AIS) as well.

The “cut” scores used to rate students’ proficiency level on a scale of 1-4 were set by a panel of 95 teachers, principals and other educators from around the state at a five-day conference in June.

Tisch and King both expressed concern that the learning gap for low income students, African-American and Hispanic students, and English Language Learners remains unacceptable.

Summary of Statewide 3-8 Exam Results:

• 31.1% of grade 3-8 students across the State met or exceeded the ELA proficiency standard; 31% met or exceeded the math proficiency standard
• The ELA proficiency results for race/ethnicity groups across grades 3-8 reveal the persistence of the achievement gap: only 16.1% of African-American students and 17.7% of Hispanic students met or exceeded the proficiency standard
• 3.2% of English Language Learners (ELLs) in grades 3-8 met or exceeded the ELA proficiency standard; 9.8% of ELLs met or exceeded the math proficiency standard
• 5% of students with disabilities met or exceeded the ELA proficiency standard; 7% of students with disabilities met or exceeded the math proficiency standard

Across the Big 5 city school districts, a smaller percentage of students met or exceeded the ELA and math proficiency standards than in the rest of the state:

• In Buffalo, 11.5% of students met or exceeded the ELA proficiency standard; 9.6% met or exceeded the math proficiency standard
• In Yonkers, 16.4% of students met or exceeded the ELA proficiency standard; 14.5% met or exceeded the math proficiency standard
• In New York City, 26.4% of students met or exceeded the ELA proficiency standard; 29.6% met or exceeded the math proficiency standard
• In Rochester, 5.4% of students met or exceeded the ELA proficiency standard; 5% met or exceeded the math proficiency standard
• In Syracuse, 8.7% of students met or exceeded the ELA proficiency standard; 6.9% met or exceeded the math proficiency standard

A summary of the test results, as well as individual school and district results, are available at: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/irs/pressRelease/20130807/home.html.