Alan's letter to the editor addresses these misleading statements

Last week's Bee Heard comments -
1. More people need to make at least minimal effort to understand the school budget, not just the promos from school administrators, teachers and The Clarence Bee. I strongly feel The Bee does not give a true critical picture of the budget process. Many pages are devoted to school sports programs but no professional, critical analysis of the dollars of the school budget. How much money is set aside in special funding but increase our total tax bills? That method of funding can bypass the tax cap, then taxpayers have an automatically and incrementally added tax going forward for all future years.

2. The new tax cap for Clarence is not 2 percent but 4.7 percent, and Superintendent Hicks wants a 3.9 percent increase. That means another $72 increase on a $200,000 house, yet there is not one thing in the budget for safety measures to protect students and teachers. We have 22 teachers retiring, and we have decreasing enrollment. Does anyone really care?

School budget proceeding well


There were two misleading comments left in last week’s Bee Heard regarding the school budget process. The state tax cap for schools is never a static 2 percent limit on the levy. The cap figure changes every year based on a complex formula that takes many factors into account, such as town growth.

Superintendent Hicks’ proposed 3.9 percent increase in the tax levy, not tax rate, is well below this year’s estimated 4.7 percent tax levy cap, part of this covered by the previously approved capital project borrowing to repair and update facilities and grounds. The tax rate is among the lowest in Western New York, and STAR-eligible households have received a rebate for the increase in the rate in every one of the past few years.

All of this is against a backdrop of a pitiful increase in state aid amounting to only 0.25 percent, or $8 per student. That $35,000 doesn’t cover much.

This year, the school district settled the teachers’ contract and offered an incentive prompting 22 retirements, allowing the levy to stay well below the cap. Enrollment projections show big increases in our elementary schools in the coming year.

Kindergarten enrollment alone has run higher than projections the past three years. Homes are built and people move here in part because of the schools.

With respect to school safety, a task force has been created to review the district’s procedures and technology and to make recommendations to the board. If people are concerned about safety, they’re invited to participate.

One caller concluded ridiculously with “does anyone really care?” Yes. The students, teachers, faculty and staff care, and the community should, too. Excellent schools and our students’ achievements contribute to our town pride.

Alan Bedenko


With an anticipated tax rate of $14.99 which usually is lowered in August after the Final assessment roll in July, the Clarence taxpayers are getting a good bang for their educational buck.