Dear Editor,
On Election Day, New York voters will be asked to let the state borrow up to $2 billion to help public schools buy computer hardware they don’t urgently need and create space for pre-kindergarten programs that most districts outside New York City can’t afford. Specifically, Proposal 3, called “Smart Schools Bond Act of 2014” on the Nov. 4 ballot would authorize a bond to finance new interactive “smart boards,” servers, laptops, desktop computers and iPad-style tablets; “high-tech security features” such as surveillance cameras; and broadband Internet and wireless connections.
Ignore the spin. New York already subsidizes classroom technology and school construction: through annual budget appropriations. Albany has a generous school building-aid program, which this year alone will provide $2.7 billion to underwrite up to 95 percent of eligible capital costs in districts across the state. Albany has earmarked $192 million in computer-hardware aid for schools, including $38 million in the current budget.
The state Board of Regents seems to think this is enough money. The annual payments on $2 billion in bonds could ultimately come to more than $130 million a year. These figures were from the Empire Center published in a New York Post article dated Oct. 7, 2014.
To justify bonding, the law implementing Proposal 3 assumes that classroom technology financed with school-bond funds will have a “probable life” of eight years. Most large corporations and government institutions assume the life span of this type of equipment is five years. So we will be paying for this bond for many years after this equipment is even in use.
PLEASE vote ‘NO’ on Nov. 4, 2014 on Proposal 3.
Sincerely,
Candy Sweppenheiser
Owego, N.Y.
