CRREO and School of Education cosponsors “Financing Education through Income Taxes” forum

NEW PALTZ – The Center for Research, Regional Education and Outreach (CRREO), in collaboration with the SUNY New Paltz School of Education and the New Paltz Central School District Board Legislative Action Committee, is sponsoring a forum on “Financing Education through Income Taxes?” with Assemblyman Kevin Cahill 101st A.D. (Kingston), on Thursday, March 24th in the New Paltz Central School District high school auditorium from 7– 9 p.m.

The Equity in Education Act ( A.447) proposes the elimination of real property taxes for the purposes of funding education. “By doing away with the school real property tax and changing to a more progressive statewide income tax, we will be able to fund our schools equitably, fairly and more affordably for all New Yorkers,” said Assemblyman Cahill.

Gerald Benjamin notes, “There are pros and cons to shifting the tax burden of funding education from the local real property tax to a statewide income tax. This forum will include the perspectives of experts who have studied the issue of school funding and have come to varying conclusions about the efficacy of the Equity in Education Act’s model.”

The panel includes: Frank Mauro – Executive Director, Fiscal Policy Institute; Martin Reid – Deputy Director of Government Relations, NYS School Boards Association; and Gerald Benjamin Director – CRREO Director and Associate Vice President for Regional Engagement at SUNY New Paltz.

The New Paltz high school is located at 130 South Putt Corners Road. Babysitting will be provided on site in Room 174 by the Duzine-Lenape PTA. For more information, please email tobinflk@newpaltz.edu or call (845) 257-2901.

CRREO was established in 2007 to further engage the university and its people with communities, governments, not-for-profits and businesses across our region. CRREO conducts and publicizes research on regional topics; creates and directs select institutes focusing on specific topics of regional interest; connects and partners with local governments, not-for-profits and businesses to initiate reforms and advocate for best practices; contracts to assess the performance of public and not-for-profit agencies and programs; and works to foster intergovernmental collaboration and community engagement.

The School of Education at SUNY New Paltz offers Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs that lead to teacher certification, a Certificate of Advanced Study in education administration and a collaborative doctorate in school leadership and policy development with SUNY Albany. The School of Education is the home of several major grants and has established clinical partnerships with many school districts and BOCES in our region. It also maintains a collaborative program in Teaching English as a Second Language with Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey.

The New Paltz Central School District Board Legislative Action Committee is designed to: inform, educate and advise the Board of Education and community concerning legislative issues and matters affecting public education; provide the community with a practical way to get involved in legislative issues relating to the school district; advocate for the school district on the federal, state, and local levels; review and monitor legislation to determine its impact on the school district; build positive relationships with legislators for the school district; make known the school district’s needs to our elected officials; enlist community support for legislative issues that affect our schools; and inform and make recommendations to the Board of Education accordingly.