The Wrong Solution in East Ramapo: Agudath Israel Opposes A Unilateral, Tax Levy Band-Aid to a Deeper Problem

Agudath Israel of America expresses deep concern regarding the recent decision by Commissioner of Education Dr. Betty Rosa to significantly and unilaterally raise the tax levy upon the predominantly Orthodox Jewish district of East Ramapo, New York.

The tax levy — the highest increase in memory — raises East Ramapo’s already high property taxes by a whopping 5.38% instead of 1%, the increase legitimately decided by the voters of East Ramapo and its elected school board.

The state Commissioner interceded in the local matter at the behest of a taxpayer, supported by the NAACP, who was concerned that the suggested budget would be insufficient for public school needs. The Commissioner’s order conceded that her intervention here was “extraordinary” in response to the contention that the move would effectively “permit any taxpayer to challenge any action by any board… including whenever they do not agree with the budget.”

The East Ramapo school board, which can be removed by the Commissioner, had little choice but to approve the Commissioner’s actions last week, but stated that it did so under protest.

A particularly dangerous aspect of the Commissioner’s order is its framing of the events as neglectful or malicious actions taken by a white (Jewish), private school (yeshiva) attending majority against a Black and Hispanic, underprivileged, public-school attending minority. While assuredly not the intent, this rhetoric only inflames already dangerous racial tensions and antisemitism and does nothing to solve the issue.

Agudath Israel has argued, publicly and recently, that the state’s formula to fund districts and public schools (Foundation Aid) is fundamentally flawed and at fault here. It does not account at all for nonpublic school students, even though the district is required to supply certain services to all children. Given the unique demographics of East Ramapo, where most children attend yeshiva, the district has, naturally, experienced budgetary shortfalls.

“In effect,” said Rabbi Shragi Greenbaum, Agudah’s Rockland Regional Director, “instead of appreciating parents who, at great personal sacrifice, self-fund their children’s education, saving the state nearly a half a billion dollars annually in this district alone, the state has enacted punitive tax levies to compensate for a broken formula.”

To be clear, Agudath Israel supports properly funding public schools. All children deserve the facilities and resources to succeed. But the funds to accomplish that ought to come from the state legislature, not through an unprecedented, unilateral tax levy imposed by the Commissioner of Education.

Agudath Israel therefore urges the state to resolve the deficiency at its heart. The state must act in the best interest of public-school and nonpublic school children alike and fix the formula, instead of usurping the voice, and further taxing the pocketbooks of, East Ramapo’s Jewish residents.