To the Editor:
Last month, I wrote a letter to the editor urging our state leaders to work to reduce the school tax burden on seniors living on fixed incomes. Over the years, we’ve seen far too many senior citizens forced to leave New York for states with lower property taxes. This exodus not only hurts our communities- it makes poor financial sense for the state.
Here’s why: the math is simple. The average cost of educating one K-12 student in New York is about $29,000 per year. When a senior sells their home and moves out of state, it’s often purchased by a family with children. If that family has two school-age children, that adds $58,000 in annual education costs to the local district. Clearly, it’s in New York’s best financial interest to encourage seniors to stay.
I heard back from Assemblyman Karl Brabenec who advised he is sponsoring Bill A.5140, which proposes school property tax relief for seniors. Unfortunately, Sen. James Skoufis responded by email noting that there is “little appetite to change the way our public schools are funded.” I made multiple phone calls to his office with the goal of requesting he push for senior tax relief legislation, but these calls went unanswered.
Our leaders should be willing to have this discussion. Seniors have contributed to our schools and communities for decades, and they deserve relief — not silence. If New York is serious about retaining its aging population and keeping our communities strong, it’s time to reform how school taxes impact those on fixed incomes.
Donald R. Humphrey
Warwick