Southern Cayuga Central School District superintendent Peter Cardamone understands state leaders' desire to make school districts more accountable financially, but he has a major question about a detailed plan unveiled this week by the state Senate's majority: Who will foot the bill?
"I would be anxious to see if they help us fund this new process," Cardamone said.
The new process includes a series of auditing and oversight measures.
Senate Republicans want to require independent school audits and create a state inspector general with subpoena power to make sure school districts wisely and legally spend tax dollars.
The school accountability proposal comes as the Democrat-led Assembly, state Comptroller Alan Hevesi, and Gov. George Pataki are urging greater school accountability in their own measures. With four weeks remaining in the scheduled legislative session, no single bill has agreement yet.
The proposals follow financial scandals in some Long Island school districts in which top administrators were accused of stealing millions of dollars in school funding for lavish vacations, to pay mortgages and for other personal use. There also were an unusually high number of school budgets rejected by voters in May.
"We need a level of accountability ... to protect taxpayers from fraud," said state Sen. Carl Marcellino, a Long Island Republican.
But Dale Bates, business administrator in the Skaneateles Central School District, is concerned legislators are being too reactionary.
"When there is one bad apple in the crate, people think they are all bad," Bates said. "I would encourage the state to take a step back and look at things in balance."
Bates also worries new state involvement could require school districts to accept the lowest bidder for outside auditors.
"In the past, we have been able to select our auditor based on quality," Bates said. "If this goes through, we will have to use the lowest bidder, which does not necessarily mean the same quality level."
Despite their concerns, both Bates and Cardamone see value in more financial record review.
"We don't have anything to hide," Bates said. "Our books are always open and everything we do is public record."
"The state's goal is to ensure accountability is being met," Cardamone said. "It is a move to reassure the public that the majority of school districts are being responsible with their money."
Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno said the public's trust in schools is at stake. He said defeats of school budgets in May show that concern because some were defeated with only single-digit increases in taxes. About 83 percent of school budgets were approved by voters, 10 percentage points less than the record in 2003. Bruno said that even with years of record increases in state school aid, some districts like his local district in Troy have in the past proposed 40 percent increases in the tax levy.
"Abuse or neglect of this trust, even by a just a handful of school officials, damages all public schools," said Timothy Kremer of the state School Boards Association.
The state Superintendents Association also supports the measures.
The new process includes a series of auditing and oversight measures.
Senate Republicans want to require independent school audits and create a state inspector general with subpoena power to make sure school districts wisely and legally spend tax dollars.
The school accountability proposal comes as the Democrat-led Assembly, state Comptroller Alan Hevesi, and Gov. George Pataki are urging greater school accountability in their own measures. With four weeks remaining in the scheduled legislative session, no single bill has agreement yet.
The proposals follow financial scandals in some Long Island school districts in which top administrators were accused of stealing millions of dollars in school funding for lavish vacations, to pay mortgages and for other personal use. There also were an unusually high number of school budgets rejected by voters in May.
"We need a level of accountability ... to protect taxpayers from fraud," said state Sen. Carl Marcellino, a Long Island Republican.
But Dale Bates, business administrator in the Skaneateles Central School District, is concerned legislators are being too reactionary.
"When there is one bad apple in the crate, people think they are all bad," Bates said. "I would encourage the state to take a step back and look at things in balance."
Bates also worries new state involvement could require school districts to accept the lowest bidder for outside auditors.
"In the past, we have been able to select our auditor based on quality," Bates said. "If this goes through, we will have to use the lowest bidder, which does not necessarily mean the same quality level."
Despite their concerns, both Bates and Cardamone see value in more financial record review.
"We don't have anything to hide," Bates said. "Our books are always open and everything we do is public record."
"The state's goal is to ensure accountability is being met," Cardamone said. "It is a move to reassure the public that the majority of school districts are being responsible with their money."
Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno said the public's trust in schools is at stake. He said defeats of school budgets in May show that concern because some were defeated with only single-digit increases in taxes. About 83 percent of school budgets were approved by voters, 10 percentage points less than the record in 2003. Bruno said that even with years of record increases in state school aid, some districts like his local district in Troy have in the past proposed 40 percent increases in the tax levy.
"Abuse or neglect of this trust, even by a just a handful of school officials, damages all public schools," said Timothy Kremer of the state School Boards Association.
The state Superintendents Association also supports the measures.
