POLL Did Rye Voters Make the Right Decision?
Weigh in and voice your opinion. Was the decision to avoid higher taxes a better choice for Rye than improving the Middle/High School Building.
Photos
A $19.9 million bond referendum proposed by Rye City Schools to construct and renovate classrooms in the Rye Middle/High School was defeated Tuesday by a margin of 306 votes.
School Board President Laura Slack said the real losers were the children of Rye, but voters apparently did not want to bear the higher tax burden for the renovation project.
Was this outcome better for Rye in the long run? Or will the missed opportunity to increase class space and improve the Middle/High school turn out to be short sighted?
Answer in our polls. Tell us in the comment section other ways the school district can address the problem of overcrowding they say will soon cause significant impact on class sizes.
Bob Zahm
3:11 pm on Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Renea - I won't answer your poll because it's too loaded with baggage. Why not just drop "The district can find other ways to accomodate more students"? Feeling that the bond was too expensive may have had nothing to do w/ the volumen of class space to be provided, but rather all of the other items that have little do with enrollment volume.
Similarly, I find it challenging to believe that a large chunk of people perceive the yes/no vote as driving real estate values.
chris
8:47 am on Thursday, December 15, 2011
I am very proud that my fellow residents/neighbors stood their ground on this issue. As a result, I think the next bond (and we all know there will be a next bond don't we?) will be a more reasonable proposal for residents to consider. This issue will not impact real estate values or the quality of education delivered at the school. The space issue will be resolved, but it will need to be done so with a more reasonable price tag. Wasteful spending is not an option in this economy, nor is burdening residents with any more tax increases. Bravo!
tedc
10:39 am on Thursday, December 15, 2011
Bob I think Renea framed the sentiments on the street here pretty fairly. Polling questions are always imperfect, and this non scientific sample poll does little to validate anyone’s positions. But it does take a step towards lifting the board’s consciousness to the real Rye – something their misrepresentative board candidate selection process artificially excludes, leading to mistakes in judgment and willful ignorance as to community history.
Bob Zahm
3:42 pm on Thursday, December 15, 2011
What I'm looking for are finer-point questions like:
I voted "No" because the bond is just too expensive
I voted "No" because the Board of Ed doesn't get that education is too expensive
I voted "No" because I don't believe we need additional classrooms
etc. Something to allow "us" to get a sense of why people voted "no". Without it, the analysis is a he-said/she-said argument.
Bertrand de Frondeville
9:56 pm on Monday, December 19, 2011
I hope I made my case clear in various local venues, and bbdf@defrondeville.com welcomes questions, or requests for a copy my 4 pages of detailed research. Now that our community has spoken, let the Board understand that the NO is, like that of May 2004, a call for more transparency and fiscal responsibility on budgets as well as future bond issues, starting with a real opening of budget and audit committees to willing and able citizens. We spend over $22,000 per student vs. our true peer Darien's $17,000. That is a cool $9 million/year, a potential 13% reduction... There is much to be done through next Fall! Happy Holidays to all! Bertrand de Frondeville
P.S. Note this Rye Patch informal poll shows an even higher plurality of NOs vs YES.
Bob Zahm
11:08 pm on Monday, December 19, 2011
From a regulation and unfunded mandate perspect as well as performance, I think our peer districts need to be found in Westchester - Bronxville, Larchmont, etc. And their costs are more on the order of $28-30k/year making Rye a relative bargain.