Montesano: Nyack Schools to Obey Tax Cap

Though budget season is still several weeks away for Nyack Schools, Tuesday evening's school board meeting touched on the 2012-13 fiscal plan—and how it will be affected by New York State's .

"Getting to that cap is the intention of the board," said James Montesano, the district's superintendent. "But the budget outlook is going to require us to do some carving."

Though the state law seeks to eliminate any tax hikes over two-percent, municipalities and school districts have the ability to override the cap.

Nyack Schools' budget came in at $71,316,000 , and included a 2.9 percent tax levy increase and .8 percent budget increase.

Montesano said he agrees with the tax cap's vision, but it still places an burden on district officials.

"It is designed to offer property tax relief, which is certainly needed in New York State and the Rockland area," he said. "[Still], formulating a budget is going to be a very different process."

Montesano came to Nyack from Paramus, NJ, where a cap is also in place.

Parents who spoke up at the Tuesday evening meeting called on the state to provide more support.

"The problem with the two-percent cap is it doesn't shift the onus of what’s missing back onto state," said Heather Cornell, who has a daughter in middle school and a son in elementary school. "If we’re going to take money away from schools  the state has to be willing to contribute more."