Voting Tools

Details: The community is voting on a bond for the school district on Tues., Dec. 10th from 7am-10pm at the High School. Use the gym entrance. Parking is reserved for voters.

Information about the bond is on the district's website here.

Set an alarm or reminder on your phone to make sure you get there before 10pm!

There is only a single referendum on the ballot. Here's a picture of the sample ballot:

Don't forget to update your profile pic (and get your I Voted sticker!)

Facts -- and where to find them

Is school enrollment declining?
No. The district looks at demographic projections regularly. Most recently, we looked at both enrollment projections and the capacity of our buildings. The report is here: http://www.northshoreschools.org/boe/presentations/demographic-capacity-study-19.pdf
The presentation is here: http://www.northshoreschools.org/boe/presentations/demographic-capacity-study-19.pdf and the video can be found at the meeting on March 28th: http://www.northshoreschools.org/boe/Board_Videos.html
Importantly, the study notes that the middle school has the highest capacity and thus has corresponding improvements in the bond. You'll also see in the data that North SHore did have a 10% decline from a historic high.

Without the bond, would we get a tax cut?
This post explains new debt at a tax neutral level versus a $150 tax cut. You can also read this post which includes the link to the presentation by the district's bond counsel on the impact of the bond - and the potential tax cut if there is no bond. This presentation includes a wealth of charts and schedules.

Will we be able to sell our homes?
An answer here would be speculative but we do know from the demographer's report (see Is School Enrollment Declining above for links) that the majority of people buying homes here seem to be doing so for the schools.

Does the district have financial information?
Absolutely. The district routinely posts financial information to their website here including budgets, past spending, reserve information and the the results of multiple annual audits. Additionally, bond information is posted here.

Why do we need a bond if we have reserves?
Read this post.

What is the Board of Education and who are the trustees?
The Board of Education is elected by the community and sets policy for the district. You can find more information about the Board here. All meeting dates and agendas are posted online as well as minutes from the meetings. You can see video of all meetings here.

Why do we pay more than other school districts and get less?
This statement has been asserted on social media. There is a lot of data to the contrary. If you are interested in student achievement, please read these posts:
North Shore has highest learning growth rate in Nassau County
School Rankings and Niche
Test Scores and Rankings
If you're interested in relative cost, you can read:
Cost per Student
Admin Costs
Reserve Funds Pt 1
Reserve Funds Pt 2
And wrap things up with:
Why Our District is Special

Better yet -- Our District's Spending has an enormous Positive Effect on our Local Economy
Read the study and take a look at these numbers.

What about LIPA and our taxes?
Our district has used reserve funds strategically to lower costs, e.g. self insuring for workers' comp with a reserve fund and to protect the district from our significant long term liabilities such as through retirement reserves. The use of many reserves is restricted. The district also has a reserve due to the decommissioning of the GWL plant that was planned to help us through any resulting changes in the tax levy. While we do not yet know the exact impact of the negotiations between LIPA and Nassau County, we do know we have been planning for various scenarios and will continue to work and plan in the best interest of our students and tax payers. The Superintendent addressed these issues here. NYSED posts property tax report cards with reserve fund schedules here. The NYS Comptroller posts fiscal stress scores here.

Do we need air conditioning?
I think so but here's what we know.

Now, some questions to consider:

• Is the "information" I am seeing from an anonymous source?
• Does it contain data or assertions?
• If data, is the source provided? 

Reserves: Quantifying Solace For Your Eyes Only

Reposting District Superintendent's email regarding reserves:

Sat, Dec 7, 2019 6:15 pm
Dear North Shore Community,

As we enjoy our weekends, I have seen and have been hearing a lot of information and speculation about the Bond, the District’s financial resources, and various news reports. Normally, we would wait to send something like this on Monday, but I thought that it would be helpful for you to hear directly from me over the weekend to work through the information and formulate any questions that you may have for me.

I thought I had sent you my last Bond Question of the Week, but like 007 himself, we're back!

Q. Dr. G., can the District use the monies currently in reserves to pay for the scope of items within the bond?

Answer:

It’s actually an interesting question, and the truth is that it really depends on whether the reserve is considered Restricted or Unrestricted. In the interest of full and complete transparency, let me take you all through a full accounting of the District's reserves. Most of us have had to rebuild a bank account in our lives. Savings usually take a long time to build, can disappear very quickly, and are likely to take a long time to re-build. Reserves are no different. 

Restricted Funds

Restricted reserves can only be used for specific purposes and they can only be accessed with voter approval for their intended purpose.  They help us to plan against existing liabilities in all facets of our operations. We use these monies to protect ourselves against existing liabilities such as building repairs, workers’ compensation claims, unemployment claims, retirement system payments, and capital projects approved by the voters.

Here is a complete accounting of the District’s Reserves from our audited financial statements that were previously presented to the Audit Committee and will appear on the Board of Education’s agenda on December 12, 2019 for action.

Restricted Reserves:                                                              $16,328,322.49

These can only be used for a specific purpose as outlined in statute and with approval from either the voters or sometimes from the Board of Education in special circumstances.

Assigned Fund Balance from 2018-2019:                             $2,300,000.00

These are monies from additional interest income earned on investments last year and savings from the 18-19 budget that are being used to offset the 2019-2020 tax levy. It includes money from the special legislative grants, also used to offset the tax levy.  The total is comprised of the following:

• Fund Balance from the prior year                                      $1,200,000.00

• Designated Special Grant to offset razing of

Glenwood Landing Power Plant from Senator

Marcellino and Assemblyman Lavine:                               $1,100,000.00

Assigned Encumbrances:                                                                 $1,660,895.37

These are funds that are carried over from 2018-2019 purchase orders that were issued, but not fulfilled by the end of June 30, 2019.  They must be used to pay for our outstanding expenses.

Subtotal:         Total Restricted Reserves:                                                   $20,289,217.86

Unrestricted Funds

The District has much more flexibility when using our unrestricted reserves and we can use them at our discretion.  However, it is important to preserve the existence of these monies. This is essentially our savings account of accessible money that we would only use in the most serious of circumstance to fund a project that would not have been budgeted for or not covered by the District’s insurance carrier.

Unrestricted Reserves:                                                                     $4,311,997.44

                                                                                               

Special Designation- LIPA:

Balance of unused Special Grant to offset razing

of Glenwood Landing Power Plant from Senator

Marcellino and Assemblyman Lavine                                            $2,884,879.53

These unrestricted reserve funds can be used at the Board’s discretion. However, a portion of the special grants are being used each year to offset the tax levy.  We've already been using a portion of these, judiciously and openly each year, to deal with previous tax effects related to the demolition of the Glenwood Landing Power Plant. Since we are simultaneously studying the financial impact analysis of the tentative LIPA settlement with Nassau County, some of these reserves are specifically intended to help with a LIPA settlement - and we will use them in that manner since they are intended/ restricted to be used for that specific reason.

Subtotal:         Total Unrestricted Reserves:                                               $7,196,876.97

Grand Total:                                                                                                  $27,486,094.83

It would be impractical at this time to use the monies in our reserves to fund projects identified within the bond.  There are essentially three reasons:

1. New York State Statute would prohibit the District from using any of the Restricted Reserves for anything other than their intended purposes.
2. In addition to there being no statutory mechanism to do so, it would be both improper and an irresponsible use of our taxpayers’ money to simply save the $40M over time and then embark upon the planned work within the scope of a bond. 
3. The long-term financial health of the District is dependent upon our ability to hold available and unrestricted funds to meet the complex needs of a complex organization.

I am always available to the community and I welcome anyone with any general or specific questions to contact me directly. While some of this can be confusing I wanted to be sure to address the community with steadfast fortitude through the lens of providing our students with the world class education they deserve. The greatest value of a democracy is having the ability to vote and express opinions. Regardless of where you stand on the proposed bond, I hope that on Tuesday, December 10, 2019 our North Shore community members take the time to vote and have their voices heard and that we continue to work in the spirit of collaboration on behalf of the children we share.

Very truly yours,

Dr. Peter Giarrizzo

Is a $39.89 million Tax Neutral Bond the "Right" Number?

Stronger Together:

The seven trustees on the Board of Education voted to put a $39.89 million bond on the ballot for the community to vote on this Tuesday. One factor that went into that decision was choosing projects our schools need in a way that let us replace debt that is retiring with new debt so that this expense remained level and would not impact the tax levy.

The district could have proposed a bond at a significantly higher level. We have millions more in repairs and upgrades on our building surveys. We have half a million square feet in our buildings to maintain plus more than 50 acres we maintain for our students and community.

Likewise, we could have tried to defer more work. However, since so much work is needed, it doesn't disappear. It stays on the list of things we need.  The costs can then escalate. We could face expensive emergency repairs. If too much work is deferred, then down the road, we face the situation of choosing between raising taxes or living with dilapidated buildings - a reality for many districts.

Most importantly, there is power in our numbers - something our community has long realized in their support for our schools. Collectively, at this moment due to the debt schedules, we can invest $39.89 million in our students without creating a new expense.  If we don't? Do we all enjoy a tax cut if this debt drops out of our budget?

In that instance, the impact on the budget would translate to a typical house getting a tax cut of about $150 for the year.

We are stronger together.

Most people see projects in the bond that they feel are more important than other parts. The hard part with a community decision is that everyone has a different opinion about which parts should stay or go. Here we are stronger together as well. Many people played a part in structuring the bond so that we could face specific capacity issues, infrastructure issues, security concerns, and learning needs. The projects here were also designed so that they could be grouped, bid and completed in a way that would be cost-effective and efficient in and of themselves but also in conjunction with projects in the capital reserve funds and those in the budget. The bond has to take into account wide-ranging state regulations and processes as well.

The complexity is significant -- yet another reason why the district offered so many bond forums and tours.

The bond will be a living, developing project, if passed, for the next several years. The estimates have to take into account a number of contingencies that can impact our cost. No one wants to vote for a bond and then discover the cost can't possible cover the projects. Likewise, because so many people will be working throughout the process on managing costs, we may find we can do more than we hoped and there are 'supplemental' projects we can hope to accomplish. "Supplemental" makes these projects sound like something we don't need. That is not the case. They just did not rise to the level of the first $39.89 million.

Many things may change over the next few years. The bond can only fund those projects specifically listed. Nonetheless, it gives the district more flexibility in getting this work done, and we will also be able to adjust the timing of elements as needed. The only goal is the education of our students and the value of our schools to this community.

I'll throw in some interesting research as well. This article on school infrastructure investments notes both the billions in deferred investments needed for our country's schools to reach "good" conditions AND the positive effects on student achievement from these investments.

Absentee Ballots for Dec. 10 Bond Vote

The District's bond vote is scheduled for Dec. 10, 2019 from 7am-10pm at North Shore High School. If you are not able to vote in person, you can still cast an absentee ballot. To do so, you'll need to fill out an application for the ballot first.

The application is on the district's website along with these instructions:

If Ballot is to be Mailed: Must be RECEIVED NO LATER THAN SEVEN DAYS BEFORE ELECTION OR May be filed IN PERSON through the day before the election (December 9, 2019) to The District Clerk, North Shore Central School District 112 Franklin Avenue, Sea Cliff, New York 11579

The application can be downloaded here, picked up from the district office or mailed to you by calling the district clerk.

The district's bond information flyer posted here indicates that once you have the ballot, "The deadline for receipt of absentee ballots by mail or personal delivery is December 10, 2019 at 5 PM."

North Shore has highest learning growth rate in Nassau County

This analysis out of Stanford University calculates that students at North Shore's schools learn 20% more per grade than the national average. This map of Nassau County shows how we are out performing our neighbors although Garden City and Merrick are also at 20%.

School Rankings and Niche.com

Of the various school rankings, you often see Niche.com's cited on social media.  For their 2020 rankings of Best School Districts in New York (nb: they have many different versions of these lists), North Shore CSD came in at #35 out of 693 results.

So what's the difference between North Shore and some of our neighbors who ranked higher? Here are their Niche.com "report cards." All get an A+ in Academics (as with Teachers and College Prep). Why a range of 35 in the rankings?

How can this be? Look at their methodology. It's described here and and every one of these factors, to some extent, includes 'self-reported by Niche users', er,  data....where they appear to have very few data points given the number of surveys cited..

Niche.com is a commercial site running real estate ads. Want an alternative? This measure of student growth from Stanford shows North Shore outperforming many of these districts. This site ranks us second in Nassau County (only just squeezed out by Jericho). It's called School Digger and only uses test scores from NYSED.

The Case for Air Conditioning

This recent article from the Washington Post is a great summary of the issues and the research:

Answer Sheet: When is it too hot to go to school?

As a local example, on June 17 and 18 in 2018, the temperature hit 90F --  our high and middle school students were taking Regents and other final exams. Our fifth graders were having graduation ceremonies, our auditoriums full of family members and a couple of fans. Eight days that month crossed the 85F mark before school ended for the year. Our aging buildings unfortunately trap and hold that heat.

Temperature has been tied to productivity generally and academic achievement specifically.

It is true that we do not need air conditioning for most of the school year but it's also true that we don't want to lose multiple days of learning or face the possibility of closing school before or during AP, IB or Regents exams. Likewise, we do have students who need summer school and other services in our buildings during the hottest months.

Here's a picture from just this past June from inside one of our elementary school classrooms:


Yes - it says 101.8F.

Here's the weather almanac for Sea Cliff as another way to think about temperatures:

Source: https://weather.com/weather/monthly/l/11579:4:US

New Online Tool Measures Economic Impact of N.Y. Districts on Communities, Regions, State

Education Week recently published the fascinating article, New Online Tool Measures Economic Impact of N.Y. Districts on Communities, Regions, State which describes how important our schools are to our local economy based on new research here in New York.

The economic impact calculator itself can be found here on the Association of School Business Officials New York site.

Here's the local economic impact alone of the North Shore School District (see more at ASBONY site):

Why hold the bond vote in December?

Why hold the bond vote this December?

By voting in December, we hope to be able to start work this summer rather than the summer of 2021. If the voters of our district approve the bond, the district then has to begin the (often long) process of securing NYSED's approval. Scheduling infrastructure work in such a way that school is not disrupted is obviously important nor do we want a further delay in these improvements. Likewise, given the time needed to plan this bond, the timing of the retiring debt, and legal notices and procedures required, scheduling the vote for significantly earlier in the year was not realistic for the district.

And yes, there will be plenty of parking on Dec. 10. The district worked very hard last May to secure ample, convenient parking for all voters.

Test Scores and Rankings

For those interested in school rankings and test scores, here's some interesting data.

Here are North Shore's most recent state testing results:

North Shore clearly outperforms the state average. But what about our neighboring districts?

Here are our math scores:

North Shore's proficiency of 89% compares well to our neighbors' 81, 88 and 82%.

On the ELA portion:

North Shore's proficiency is 82% and the neighbors are at 80, 85 and 78%.

According to Niche.com's 2020 rankings, these neighboring districts are the #1, #2 and #7 best school districts in New York state, respectively. Read more about their rankings here and check out some alternatives, too.

Research out of Stanford shows that this measure of student growth has North Shore outperforming many of these districts. Another rankings site lists North Shore as second in Nassau County (only just squeezed out by Jericho). It's called School Digger and only uses test scores from NYSED. Finally, here's another view of the Stanford data showing the students in the best districts in Nassau County learn 20% more each year than the national average -- and that's North Shore.

Test score data source: https://data.nysed.gov/lists.php?type=district
Niche.com's 2020 Best School Districts in NY: https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-school-districts/s/new-york/

A Tax Neutral Bond

How can North Shore's proposed bond be "tax neutral"? Basically, as older debt is paid off, we can replace it with new debt, and the district has older debt retiring now in a low interest rate environment. Here are several options for additional explanation:

1.  You can watch this description from a financial advisor at Capital Market Advisors from a previous bond forum. Click here and and scroll to the 2019 June 18 - Bond Video. If you like, skip ahead to the 1:11:30 mark. 
2. The district has posted bond information here including a link on 'tax neutral.'
3. Read Superintendent Dr. Giarrizzo's recent email posted here. If you do not receive North Shore CSD's emails but would like to, click here.

From: Peter Giarrizzo
Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2019 12:27:13 PM (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
To: Jones, Sara
Subject: Tax Neutral- Say What?! Bond Question of the Week!!

Dear North Shore Parents, Community Members, and Faculty,

December 10, 2019 will be the day that we ask our taxpayers to vote upon the proposed bond referendum. From now until then, I will be publishing the answer to a weekly question of the week that is important for you to understand and one that we hear of frequently within the community.    

Q. What the heck does tax neutral really mean and how can it possibly be that the proposed North Shore Bond is tax neutral?

A. The primary assumption made in planning this bond has been to achieve a payment schedule that remains flat from year to year. The bond payments from the 1999 Bond Referendum retired in the 2018-2019 fiscal year. In addition, two more bonds will retire in 2022-2023 and then again in 2025-2026. Our Board directed us to keep the projected principal and interest payments from this proposed bond AT or LESS than the amounts that are being retired. By doing so, the projected new annual bond payments will be at or less than all three of the retiring bonds combined.

We now have a very unique funding opportunity that will allow us to address significant and substantial needs in infrastructure, safety and security, health and wellness, and our use of instructional space. Here is how the funding will work over the next five years. You will see that on balance, the impact to the taxpayers is essentially flat or neutral.

This proposed referendum is a major investment in our schools and facts are important. It is a process that has involved years of planning, research and much community input. The implementation will involve even more planning and a competitive bidding process to ensure that we get the most value for our spending. As always, if you have a questions, please contact me directly or join me at any number of upcoming events. This week, there is Coffee and Conversation at my office at 9:30 am.  If you would like to join me on a building tour this Saturday, November 2, 2019 at 10 am, please RSVP to Betty Ciampi at ciampb@northshoreschools.org by Thursday morning, at 9 am.  For more information on the bond, please visit http://www.northshoreschools.org/boe/bond.html

Please mark your calendars for Wednesday, November 13th at 7 pm at North Shore High School where our parent organizations will host a information night on the bond via a short presentation in the Theatre and small group break-out informational sessions in the Cafeteria.  I hope that you can join us!!

Stay tuned for more information and next week's Bond Question!

Very truly yours,

Peter Giarrizzo, Ed. D.

Superintendent of Schools

Another Letter to the Editor!

In case you missed the Herald last week!

Letter to the Editor

In case you missed today's Glen Cove Record Pilot -

Cost per Student

Many sites purport to compare the cost per student among various school districts. Many, even most, simply take the district's entire budget and divide it by the number of students. It's one measure.

The tax levy divided by the number of students is another measure.

When you use the entire budget and not just the tax levy, it will look like the 'cost' has gone up under scenarios including districts which receive significant aid, grant money, other funds that pass through the district with no impact, etc. - anything that isn't the tax levy. These budget items impact every school district differently.* North Shore has reduced the percent of its budget covered by the tax levy to about 82% - lower than it's been in decades. (See proposed budget narratives on district website.)

When you use the entire budget, you also include the expense for buses, textbooks, health care, and special education services for students who live in our district but attend private schools. However, you are only dividing that budget by the number of students in our schools - not all the students covered by the budget. Again, every district is impacted differently by these figures.

Separately, we can also ask what we get for our budget. See that list here.

*For example, our district is home to St. Christopher's. The cost in the budget for those students is nearly $500,000 but it is entirely covered by other sources. If you divide the entire budget by our students, you would think there's roughly $200 per student added by that line. But no. That number is on both sides of the budget - costs and revenue. However, it is not in the tax levy.

Absentee Ballot Application - School Budget Vote and Board of Education Election

Not able to vote in person on May 21st? Kids away at college? Spouse away on business? Let's make sure everyone's voice is heard. Download your absentee ballot application here:

Absentee Ballot Application

• Application Due by May 14th if you need a ballot mailed to you.
• Ballot due by May 20th.

Note: Absentee voting is a two-step process. First, you complete the application and return it to the District office at 112 Franklin Ave. Then, you will receive a ballot to complete and return. Both steps can be done in person or by mail.

Register to Vote!

If you are not registered at your current address, please register -

Sat., May 11th

10am-2pm

North Shore Schools

Central Office

112 Franklin Ave.

Sea Cliff

Check your registration here.

Download a reminder to your calendar here.

North Shore is Special

So, what is so special about North Shore? Glad you asked.

• Children start learning a new language in kindergarten. Elementary schools offer two and by middle school they have five choices.(Our schools were just recognized state-wide for our outstanding program.)*
• Small class sizes
• An award-winning music program. Children can start an instrument in 3rd grade - earlier than most schools.*
• Highly educated, experienced Faculty
• Small, neighborhood elementary schools
• All middle schoolers can participate in athletics. There are no cuts except when we do not have enough gym space.
• Schools on all levels noted for their achievements. GWL is a blue ribbon school, the high school noted as a Reward School for closing achievement gaps, our middle school a 'school to watch' and more
• Through our unique SVOs, schools focused on the essential skills needed for success by developing Thinkers, Collaborators, Communicators, Problem-Solvers, Innovators, and Committed Individuals
• Our International Baccalaureate program distinguishes us from most schools on LI and provides us with international benchmarking on our education
• Recent home sales show most buyers have children and those noted the schools were a reason for buying here

*Great research here on how teaching new languages, musical instruments, and reading aloud to kids helps their brains develop in ways that support all learning (All things our students get!) - https://www.kqed.org/…/what-types-of-sound-experiences-enab…

Since Meet the Candidates, there have been a lot of questions about our district and people needed to see that data. Now, let's kick off the week by talking about what we know and love about our schools.

Save the Date!

North Shore's Budget Vote and School Board Election is:

Tuesday, May 21st
7am - 10pm
North Shore High School

Click this link to download the event to your calendar!

Reserve Funds and You, Pt II

Part II – Property Tax Report Cards

NYS’s Property Tax Report Card system now also includes a schedule of reserves. Here’s the data on North Shore and Manhasset (cited at Meet the Candidates Night). Please note the last column which indicates what will be spent in the coming year.

Here are my questions:

·         Why would you have almost $4,000,000 in a Capital Reserve fund with no plans to save it? This reserve is not a rainy day or emergency repair reserve. The projects to be funded have to be approved by the voters when they vote to establish the reserve.

·         We have funds in the Unemployment and Workers’ Comp reserves because we are self-insured – which saves us money. Are they not self-insured or not holding funds for claims?

·         We’ve had tremendous spikes over the years in pension fund costs, why not fund the ERS reserve?

·         All audit reports note that school districts have tremendous long-term liabilities. Why not use the Employee Benefits Accrued Liability fund?

·         Repair Reserve – The emergency repairs would have to be less than $150,000. Low?

·         Does the overall lack of reserves explain why they aren’t plan to use them? (Versus NS’s plans.)

Source: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/mgtserv/propertytax/#Data

Reserve Funds and You, Pt I

Part I – Fiscal Stress Scores

This report notes that Manhasset’s cash is less than it’s average monthly gross expenditures which may be the reason heir short-term borrowing via Tax Anticipation Notes is 50% higher than North Shore’s.

The NYS Comptroller Awarded 0 points to North Shore.

Should our district merge to save money?

Experts conclude that school districts of more than 1500 students will not save money in a merger.

From Newsday:

A 2005 study by Syracuse University researchers found that two districts of 300 students each could cut costs 23.7 percent by combining, due to economies of scale. Combining two districts of 1,500 students each could save 3.9 percent, the study showed. Many experts have concluded that consolidations involving districts with enrollments of more than 1,500 each should be attempted only if the reorganization meets some other goal, such as giving students a wider choice of advanced courses.

Source: https://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/school-district-consolidation-faces-key-test-in-southampton-tuckahoe-vote-tuesday-1.9620361

From the NYS School Boards Association:

According to the the Broome-Tioga BOCES Study conducted by the nonpartisan Center for Government Research, “Research clearly shows that cost efficiencies are highest when mergers occur between districts in the 750 student range or less, and the savings drop off rapidly once districts reach the range of 1,000 to 1,500 students.”

The other study, by the Center for Policy Research of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, had this to say:

Overall, consolidation is likely to lower the costs of two 300-pupil districts by over 20 percent, to lower the costs of two 900-pupil districts by 7 to 9 percent, and to have little, if any impact on the costs of two 1,500-pupil districts. State aid to cover the adjustment costs to consolidation appears to be warranted, but only in relatively small districts.

Source: https://www.nyssba.org/news/2008/12/22/on-board-online-dec-22-2008/school-consolidations-not-blanket-solution/

From Newsday:

LI officials to Cuomo: We’re already consolidating services

Source: https://www.newsday.com/long-island/opposing-governor-some-local-officials-say-they-already-consolidate-1.13155803

Note: North Shore participates in numerous joint bids for goods and services. Motions for these bids appear in the minutes for the Board of Education. Further, through BOCES, the district also takes advantage of numerous shared services.

Admin Costs

Where's North Shore?
(From Newsday's report on administrative costs)
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A New Way to Compare Schools

Really interesting research (Click the title) -

How Effective Is Your School District? A New Measure Shows Where Students Learn the Most

Here's the data on some local districts:

Here's North Shore vs the rest of the country!

Districts Ratings

North Shore posts exhaustive financial information online at www.northshoreschools.org/boe/.

Here's just a sample -

But look at how we spend it –on the educational program

From May 2019 --


For example, next year, NS has budgeted $2,133,842 for transportation while Manhasset plans for $5,202,542 - more than twice as much. North Shore's administration built a bus depot several years ago. That kind of planning means 1) We've kept our costs significantly lower 2) We generate revenue by servicing buses from other districts 3) We have our own, trusted, drivers and control over our routes 4) We've been able to make more students eligible for bus service

TOB Tax Rates

School Budget Cut Calculator

You can change any number in a white box. Hit 'enter' to see the result.

Thanks to everyone for made it to Meet the Candidates last night. If you missed it, we'll have a link to the video soon. Meanwhile, as there were several references to Manhasset and Herricks specifically last night, I wanted to share the data from NYSED on our districts (Click the picture to enlarge)

April 29, 2019

I’m excited to announce I am running for re-election to North Shore’s Board of Education. As current Board President and with six years as trustee, my experience along with my skills as a business owner are an asset for our schools as we work to preserve our outstanding  educational program in the face of significant fiscal challenges.

I’ve worked hard to preserve the long-term financial well-being of our schools. I’ve supported a rich, well-rounded curriculum for all our students where meaningful learning is not crowded out.  I’ve focused on the well-being of our students through wellness and safety committees and the health of our infrastructure on the construction committee.

I’m proud of our district and its role in our community.  We moved to Sea Cliff 19 years ago, and our schools were a major part of that decision. With a 10^th grader at North Shore and a 6^th grader at our middle school, we are grateful for the many opportunities they’ve had.

I am also extensively involved in our community - initially through volunteering with the SC PCA and Friends of the Library and now through the SC MAKEshop and Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor – but it’s my volunteer work on our school board where my background truly comes into play.

As a tax payer and as a parent, I see the 19 years I have spent running and building a successful business   as critical experience.  My demonstrated abilities in long-term planning, data analysis, budgeting and creative problem-solving are crucial at this juncture for moving our schools forward for our students now and for future generations of our community.

I ask for your vote to re-elect me on May 21^st.

Sara Jones for North Shore Schools

Occupation: For 19 years, I have been the owner and CEO of a successful, national catalog-based company now serving 100,000 customers.  I have consistently increased sales and market-share through strong financial and strategic planning, pro-active budgeting, sophisticated data-analysis, complex supply chain management, and creative problem-solving.  Previously, I worked as a director of fundraising for the public-private partnership Citymeals-on-Wheels raising several million dollars in donations annually and gaining an understanding of the role of private fundraising for public institutions.

Qualifications: I am the current President of North Shore’s Board of Education; I previously served two years as Vice-President and have greatly enjoyed serving our community as a trustee for the past six years. I’ve worked hard during my tenure to preserve the long-term financial well-being of our schools. I’ve supported a rich, well-rounded curriculum for all our students where meaningful learning is not crowded out by outside pressures.  I’ve focused on the well-being of our students through the wellness and safety committees and the health of our infrastructure on the construction steering committee.

During this time, I’ve also been able to extend my involvement in the community by co-founding the volunteer-run, nonprofit Sea Cliff MAKEshop which provides coding, science and engineering and other hands-on science opportunities for district students. We also created and run the annual Beach Science program and the Spooky Pumpkin Walk for the community. I worked to organize the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor’s annual Scudder’s Pond cleanup. Previously, I served as Treasurer for the Friends of the Sea Cliff Library for which I still raise funds annually; I have also been deeply involved in our schools through the Sea Cliff PCA where I was former webmaster, created the book swap and chaired the nutrition committee; I also served on North Shore’s district-wide nutrition committee. 

I graduated in 1989 from Princeton University, A.B. cum laude.

Personal:  I am a 19 year resident of Sea Cliff. I have a son at North Shore Middle School and a daughter at North Shore High and am a former Sea Cliff School and Roslyn Trinity Co-op parent.  Both kids have taken advantage of the terrific opportunities our district has in the arts and athletics, and it has been a great opportunity to meet so many of our neighbors in our auditoriums and on our playing fields. We are the proud companions of our rescue dog, two cats, and a frog raised from tadpole-hood in our daughter’s kindergarten class.

Statement:  As your neighbor, a parent, and a tax payer, I see our schools as being at a critical juncture. Our district provides a strong, well-rounded education for all of our students, but we also face significant financial challenges while we work to ready our schools and students for the future. The 19 years I have spent running and building a successful business as well as my experience on our Board are critical assets today.  I want to be able to use my demonstrated abilities in long-term planning, data analysis, budgeting and creative problem solving, as well as my commitment to all our students and our community, to continue to move our educational program forward during these challenging times.  We are all the beneficiaries of our excellent school system, a tremendous gift that enriches our entire community. For the last six years, it has been my privilege to serve on the Board of Education, and I hope to continue my efforts to provide the current and future students of the North Shore community with rich and meaningful educational experiences.

Sara is:
• Currently President of the North Shore Schools Board of Education and is committed to public education and providing a rich, meaningful curriculum for all of our students
• Owner and CEO of a successful national catalog company for over 19 years now serving over 100,000 customers
• Co-founder of the nonprofit, volunteer-run SC MAKEshop providing coding, science and engineering opportunities for children in our district
• Organizer of annual Scudder's Pond cleanup with the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor
• Previously a director of fundraising at the public-private partnership Citymeals-on-Wheels where she was responsible for raising several million dollars annually through direct response and small dollar donations
• Formerly: Treasurer and fundraiser for Friends of the Sea Cliff Village Library; Webmaster for Sea Cliff Elementary’s parent organization (PCA); Founder of the SC PCA Book Swap; Chair SC PCA Nutrition Committee
• Graduate of Princeton University, A.B. cum laude
• Resident of Sea Cliff for 19 years
• Mother of a 6th grader at North Shore Middle School and a 10th grader at NSHS ( Former Sea Cliff Elementary and Roslyn Coop parent)

As Trustee, Sara has:
• Continuously and consistently advocated for a well-rounded curriculum and educational experience that focuses on creating life-long learners and engaged citizens.
• Co-authored the Board’s Resolution on High Stakes Testing which articulated the North Shore Board of Education’s support of authentic student assessment and effort to limit the impact of government mandated testing on our high performing schools.
• Focused on the well-being of students by serving on the Board’s Wellness and Health & Safety Committees.
• Helped lead the long-term planning that contributes to the fiscal well-being of the District through the Construction Steering Committee.
• Initiated the review of the district’s student data privacy policies.