Gap Elimination Adjustment Links

\ I've talked before about the HamiltonCentralOptions: Gap Elimination Adjustment and I'll go on talking about it. This is just a set of links, really. Watertown Daily Times | Senators pushing bill to end GAP Elimination Adjustment

Legislative sponsors of Bill 5452, calling for the end of the Gap Elimination Adjustment, are pushing to have the state take a serious look at ending the tax as soon as possible. State Sen. Patricia A. Ritchie, R-Heuvelton, said if there is a surplus in the state budget then there is no longer a need to continue the implementation of the penalty tax on public schools.

“This bill was originally proposed last year. This year there is a whole new dynamic,” Mrs. Ritchie said. “This bill amends the education law, requiring the state to pay down the gap elimination adjustment.”

Mrs. Ritchie and her legislative colleagues are hoping to take the bill before legislators to have the GEA’s conclusion be included in the final 2014 budget.

Bill 5424 is reported at S5452-2013 - NY Senate Open Legislation - Requires the state to pay down the gap elimination adjustment in three years - New York State Senate

Feb 4, 2014: REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE
Jan 8, 2014: REFERRED TO EDUCATION
Jan 8, 2014: returned to senate
Jan 8, 2014: died in assembly

Note that Valesky is a co-sponsor.

There's a lot about it at the "Statewide School Finance Consortium": SSFC Responds to Gov’s State of the State | SSFC

The system for distributing state aid to schools is broken and needs to be fixed, says Dr. Rick Timbs: “We need relief and reform. First and foremost: Do away with the GEA!’’

And of course it's not just upstate; Long Island complains, and is trying to reduce the 2014 GEA impact before April 1: Legislators: Gap Elimination Adjustment short-changing Long Island’s school districts - News 12 Long Island

Local lawmakers say they will fight to increase that amount before the state budget is passed by April 1.

So, how to "fight"? Mostly send letters, I guess.

• Watertown Daily Times | General Brown launches letter writing campaign to end Gap Elimination Adjustment
• Freeport Public Schools

  All residents are encouraged to join in the district’s efforts to eliminate the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) by participating in a letter writing campaign.

• Averill Park Central School District

  Below are a number of advocacy resources, contact information for our representatives as well as others in position of power within the state. You will also find sample letters as well as talking points to create your own letter.

• ADVOCACY / Home

  The Coxsackie-Athens Central School District’s Board of Education and administration are instituting a letter-writing campaign NOW to eliminate the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) from our school budget for the 2014-15 school year. It is NOW that we need to make our voices and numbers heard in Albany.

• Legislative Action Committee

  Click here to print a letter that may be signed and mailed to legislators. You may also copy the text from the letter and paste it into an e-mail. Legislator mailing addresses and e-mail addresses are provided below.

The list goes on. A lot of people in a lot of communities are doing what they can to say that the GEA is not a good way for the state to save money. The deadline, assuming that a budget passes on time, is April 1st.