Dear Editors:

As a School Board member I must respond to Richard Bamberger’s statement about New York spending the most per student for any state.  (Governor Cuomo’s Aide Defends Proposed Tax Cap)

Mr. Bamberger fails to mention the crippling unfunded mandates that make up so much of our budgets.  Mandates over which the local Districts have no control. 

 New York State boasts 200 additional requirements over the Federal requirements of IDEA,(Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), New York has a very  generous Pension system controlled by the State Legislature  and no changes can be made at the local level, and Health Insurance companies are allowed double digit rate increases despite making record profits. 

Mr. Bamberger  rails against the enormous cost of educating a student in New York State, but fails to mention that the State Legislature and the State Education Department have mandated many of these costs.

Anna Sterne

Member of the Dobbs Ferry Board of Education