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Cap On School Property Tax Levy Impacting Education Budgets In New York

HUNTINGTON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - School districts in New York state will have to be more cautious with their budgets next year.

The state comptroller is capping the property tax levy at below 2%.

That worries some educators and parents.

They're talking taxes on Long Island.

Growth in school property taxes will be capped at 1.81% for 2020-21, the tightest restriction in three years.

"The only two things in life that are certain are death and taxes," one Long Island businesswoman said, borrowing from Benjamin Franklin.

"The schools are just going to have to work around it," one restaurant worker told CBS2's Jennifer McLogan.

There are fiscal worries challenging Long Island's 124 school districts, which rely on foundation aid from Albany. Those dollars into suburban schools have been shrinking.

Now the state faces a looming $6 billion budget deficit.

"If last year's state aid, which was really the lowest increase in a decade, if that becomes a pattern, there's a freight train coming. And we are very, very afraid of that crash," said Dr. David Bennardo, the superintendent of South Huntington schools.

"We have a more diverse culture, society and district, as well as so many children that have needs across the spectrum," said South Huntington parent Erin Meijer.

South Huntington is among those with increased costs in bilingual tutoring.

Some Walt Whitman High School students remember past cuts and are lobbying their legislators.

"If they have to cut, they might cut the arts and that means band," one senior said.

"Important business programs could be cut," said another.

"The state aid that we're getting is just not even coming close to those expenditures we have to outlay," said South Huntington school board president Nicholas Ciapetta.

Suffolk County "Taxpak" and some other activist groups are complaining about bloated superintendent salaries, teacher retirement pensions and dropping enrollments as reasons for school taxes to go down.

"It's got to be leveled out for sure," one activist said.

"It has to be balanced," said another.

"We have to fund schools. I mean, that's the future," said a third.

Administrators are anxiously awaiting Gov. Andrew Cuomo's budget message, which is due later this month.

This weekend, the Riverhead, Westbury and Glen Cove schools are planning rallies to push for more state financial support.

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