This year there are two vacancies on the Board of Education and two candidates running for these seats. The Huletts Current submitted the following questions to each candidate running for the school board. I explained to each candidate that I would run their answers as they submitted them on the Huletts Current. The questions are entirely my own and hopefully you will get a better sense of who the candidate is and what their positions are after reading their responses.
Today I present Mr. George Armstrong’s answers to my questions.
Could you please tell us about yourself and why you are running for the school board?
I am a retired GE manager who now operates with my wife’s help a green house and vegetable business. I have a life long love for education and a belief that our young people can be better educated if we become involved and show the way.
The Whitehall school district’s enrollment has been falling (and is predicted to continue to decline). When do you expect that falling enrollment will translate into lower taxes for all?
Probably the best we can hope for is a slight increase in the budget and a small increase in taxes. Sharp increases in health insurance and pension obligations are driving budget increases. Soon we will not have enough fund balance to offset increases in health costs and pension obligations unless (the) state increases school aid or eliminates mandates.
Whitehall and Granville had a long history of playing each other in sports. However, Whitehall is now in the “D” conference for smaller schools while Granville is in the higher “B” conference. Would you like to see this rivalry begin again and if so, what will you do, if elected to the school board, to bring residents and students into Whitehall?
No. I would not like this rivalry to begin again. Granville school will soon have twice our population. We can barely dress enough players to be competitive most years.
Do you believe that increased spending per pupil translates into a better education?
No. I do not believe that increased spending automatically translates in a better education. Involved parents, good teachers and a caring community are the key to a better education. Money is very important but must be used wisely.
If elected, will you advocate for or offer a resolution that any yearly budget surpluses be returned to the taxpayers in the form of lower taxes the following year? If not, why not?
No school district should over tax, however; following state guidelines fund balances should be maintained for a year like this one. Without some of our fund balance being applied this year we would be looking at 10% + tax increase despite our cut backs. We have never exceeded the legal limit, 4% on fund balance.
Governor Cuomo has recognized that lowering state spending is essential to a healthy state. Do you feel a responsibility, if elected, to cut spending and taxes on the local level to have a healthy and prosperous community?
You can talk about lowering spending and taxes all you want, but with health cost and pension obligations sky rocketing, mandates increasing and business fleeing N.Y., its not going to happen. We need some structural changes that are hard to get in Albany. Governor Cuomo seems to have the right ideas but entrenched interests have killed many a good idea.