High Praise for Putnam Schools

According to a recent survey, 70.7 percent of Putnam County citizens are unwilling to pay higher school taxes. At the same time, 72 percent of those polled had a positive view of Putnam schools.

However, a closer look at the numbers reveals that only less than a quarter of those surveyed—23.7 percent— thought Putnam schools were “excellent.” And 60 percent said that major reforms are needed. The poll was conducted by pollster Kieran Mahoney for the Courier. The margin of error was +/- 5.65 percent.

Putnam County has some of America’s highest property tax rates, in large Panny How part due to the cost of education, including

what some have called generous teacher salaries. Andy Irvin, Carmel schools’ Assistant Superintendant for Instruction and Personnel, said he “wouldn’t expect anything different. Our taxpayers support us but they can’t give what they don’t have … given the economic climate, it’s gotten to the point where people say ‘no more.’”

Irvin also said that in order to compete with other areas, specifically Westchester, schools in Putnam “have to be competitive if you want to attract and obtain the best instructors.”

In May, the Courier and its sister paper the Putnam County News & Recorder published the salaries and wages for staff and administration within each school district. According to public information provided by SeeThroughNY. net, approximately 527 individuals employed in Putnam County public school systems earned more than $100,000 in 2009 – Carmel, which collectively had 4,630 students enrolled within the district last year, held the highest number, with 126 employees with salaries over $100,000. Garrison, which had 275 students in its district, had 10 employees earning over $100,000.

Brewster Superintendent Jane Sandbank said that as the amount of school funding from New York State decreases, there are more problems with trying to maintain existing programs and services, as well as creating new ones. “Also, our last budget vote was very successful, as it was throughout the region and state, which indicates that Putnam residents do support their schools,” Sandbank said. “We also had a zero percent budget increase in Brewster because we reduced staff and our administrators and teachers took a salary freeze.”

In the survey, only 4.7 percent said Putnam schools were “poor.” Additionally, 81.1 percent of registered Democrats polled deemed the schools “excellent/ good.” Among Republicans and Independents, 68.1 and 61.1 percent, respectively, gave Putnam schools positive ratings.

Among Putnam’s towns, the lowest rating came from Philipstown, with a 60.6 percent positive rating. On the opposite end, Carmel residents surveyed had the most favorable impression of their public schools.

This information came as a surprise to Dr. Mark Villanti, superintendant of the Haldane school district; although it is unclear if the Philipstown residents who were polled were referring to the Haldane or Garrison school districts. “There’s a mood across the country and this county; people are dissatisfied with the status quo … there’s a lot of negativity right now; putting that aside, we’re proud of our district. We’re proud of the quality of education here but we’re always striving to do better because we want to be better than the status quo.”

Brewster resident Laura Kelly doesn’t feel school taxes are too high; she said she sees them as more of a “facet of life.” Although both of her two children originally went to Catholic schools, she feels public schools have more to offer “both academically and socially.” Kelly, whose daughter graduated from Catholic high school, said she’s glad she decided to put her son into public school when he was in sixth grade.

“My son is getting the best of both worlds,” Kelly said. “I think he benefitted from going to a private elementary school but now that he’ll be entering Brewster High School next month, he’s going to get an even better education.” She continued to say that she thought subjects like science were much more advanced at Brewster’s H.H. Wells Middle School than what her daughter had learned in Catholic school. “My son practiced a lot more writing than his sister did, too,” she added.

According to each school district’s New York State District Report Card for 2008-09, of the districts within the county, the school with the highest graduation rate was Haldane with 98 percent; however, only 77 percent of Haldane students went on to a four-year college and 15 percent went to a two-year college. The Carmel school district had the lowest graduation rate, with 86 percent graduating and 98 percent attending a four-year college.

Also, according to the district report cards, 88 percent of students at Carmel, Brewster, and Mahopac also received a Regents diploma, meaning they received a 65 or higher on all required Regents exams.

Irvin provided his opinion for a possibility as to why 60 percent of those polled said the local education systems are in need of major reform. He offered, “I think constraints that schools have to operate under may be a factor;” Irvin added that if they were given more flexibility, more money would most likely go towards student programs.

Sandbank said Brewster schools are looking at how their students are scoring on state tests to get a better idea about what their students need to do better. “We hold as a primary goal to continue to deliver an excellent education for all of our students while keeping costs down,” she said. They also look at “what services students are currently receiving, what is working best, and how can we do more with less.”