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Health & Fitness

Community Members Speak Out: Contact Our Elected Officials

As the January 23 vote on closure of Lewisboro Elementary School draws near, our community has made their voices heard to the Katonah-Lewisboro Board of Education. However, this issue needs to be addressed at higher levels of state government.

Our elected officials share a keen interest in property tax and educational issues:

• Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed a two-year property tax freeze that includes a rebate to taxpayers.

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• State Senator Greg Ball has been a leader on implementing the property tax cap and questioning the implementation of Common Core. He has proposed a property tax freeze for seniors and is concerned about unfunded state mandates.

• Assemblyman David Buchwald has made education, Common Core implementation, and accountability his priorities. He has been successful in fighting for state funding for Westchester schools, and considers state mandates to be a serious issue.

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• Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino is keenly aware of the taxes we pay in Westchester and the qualities such as great schools that make the county a desirable place to live.  He is considering a run for Governor and has been critical of the Cuomo administration.


How can you help?

Contact Governor Cuomo and tell him that though he recommended "a death penalty for failing schools," high-performing schools do not deserve the same fate.  In 2012, the New York State Department of Education issued LES the “reward school” designation for performing among the top 10% of schools in the state.  LES was the only school in the district to receive the designation.  LES also ranks #63 of more than 2,000 New York State elementary schools listed on Schooldigger. Great schools are the beginning of a pipeline to an excellent education, and a major draw for homebuyers.  Closing LES will do harm to our district and to our local economy.

Contact Senator Ball and Assemblyman Buchwald and tell them that there is no current financial distress in the district. The local school board has cited the property tax cap, unfunded mandates, and the rising costs of pensions as a reason to close the top-performing elementary school in our district.  Those are state issues and this should be addressed at a state level.  This is an issue that can be solved by working together.  Senator's Ball's proposal for a freeze for property taxes on seniors and Assemblyman Buchwald's support for the Governor's property tax initiatives are better solutions.

Contact Rob Astorino and let him know about your concerns for our school district, county, and state – specifically the impact of a school closure on our property taxes, home values, and local businesses


Contact Information

Governor Andrew Cuomo

Email: gball@nysenate.gov

Phone: (845) 279-3773

 

Assemblyman David Buchwald

http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/David-Buchwald/contact/

Email: BuchwaldD@assembly.state.ny.us

Phone: 914-244-4450 

 

Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino

Email: ce@westchestergov.com

Phone: 914-995-2900 

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

http://www.saveKLschools.org/

http://chn.ge/19xKSfA (1,000+ signatures)

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