Comments on: In School Districts, 92 Percent of Budgets Passed

By: ed

ed — Thu, 22 May 2008 01:41:48 +0000

Cornell, a state school, has about 33% of their 3100 or so freshman from NYS, and accepts about 28% of applicants. Harvard has maybe 12, 13% of students from Mass. and accepts maybe 8% of applicants. I think Columbia, a smaller school, accepts an even lesser number (percent).

By: Ian

Ian — Thu, 22 May 2008 00:16:14 +0000

Maybe it has changed from ten-fifteen years ago when my siblings and I were in high school but it was easier in my time to get in to Harvard if you were at New Rochelle High School than Scarsdale. This was even more true at a school such as Cornell, which drew a lot students from places like Scarsdale and Horace Greeley. It should be noted that quite a number of these diverse students were prep school kids who had a home address (in some cases a second home)or were the child or daughter of the wealthiest person in town in a location that did not send many students to the prestigious school in question. Having a prep school student from Milwaukee, Wisconsin or Midland, Texas does not diversify the school much in my opinion.

By: the consultant

the consultant — Wed, 21 May 2008 23:40:32 +0000

what they do is limit the number of kids they take from
outside new york city….its not that they pit tuckahoe
against scarsdale..that is an oversimplification..what
they do is lower the standards slightly for say kids
from midland texas..to make their entering classes
more diverse…

By: Ian

Ian — Wed, 21 May 2008 23:14:13 +0000

While it sounds good in theory, I think geographic diversity in practice is a sham. I don’t see why taking 3 students from Tuckahoe and 3 from Scarsdale instead of taking 1 student from Tuckahoe and 5 from Scarsdale does much to diversify the school.

By: the consultant

the consultant — Wed, 21 May 2008 22:20:21 +0000

ed that has always been the case particularly for jewish
kids…too many bright kids from the same zip code
and the schools want to diversify…I frankly have
no problem with that

By: ed

ed — Wed, 21 May 2008 21:55:18 +0000

Fact: If you want your kid to get into Harvard, you’re better off without a Scarsdale address.

By: the consultant

the consultant — Wed, 21 May 2008 18:48:29 +0000

the problem is that services are duplicated in a very
small geographical area..for example ardsley is one square
mile…but it has a court, a police chief, a mayor,
its own police department, its own superintendent of schools
three principles and a board of ed…why?

By: schools

schools — Wed, 21 May 2008 18:38:17 +0000

By the high percentage of budgets passing, people do support their schools and the spending. However, the fact remains that spending habits need to be curtailed in some areas.
Also, Albany representatives need to get down to basics on school funding. Reworking the way funds are raised is way over due. Using home evaluations is not a fair way to levy the funds.
Write to your representatives and make them get to work…not only for the six months they are in session three days a week, but make them meet in Albany longer until they solve this problem.

By: Wahoo

Wahoo — Wed, 21 May 2008 18:14:23 +0000

More money is wasted in bloated school budgets than most people would think. But the education bureaucracy keeps shoveling its propaganda, and too many citizens keep believing it. Foolish. Very foolish.

By: ed

ed — Wed, 21 May 2008 17:41:03 +0000

Ditto. Period.

By: the consultant

the consultant — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:29:36 +0000

just keep passing those school budget increases year
after year..because if you don’t your kids won’t get
into harvard..like they will from the next town
or village..and just keep justifying 46 school districts
each with its own superintendent..and three or four
principles…hey at 5% per year your taxes should double
by the time your kids go to college..and then lets
see if you can sell your house