Assemblyman Zebrowski Sponsors Bill to Cancel the Democratic Process for Voters in the ERCSD

By M.C. Millman

Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski, the man who put the East Ramapo Central School District under the thumb of New York State monitors, introduced bill A101407 today in the New York State Assembly, suggesting in multiple places, among other disquieting proposals that the democratic process be ignored in the East Ramapo Central School District when it comes to budget votes.

The bill, which can be found here, includes a proposal to allow the fiscal control board to override voters if they fail to approve the district's proposed budget. Not only would this be allowed, but the board would be “directed” to do so.

When it comes to district transportation, Zebrowski suggests more of the same, proposing that “ the fiscal control board is hereby authorized and directed to override voter approval of expanded transportation provided to students in the district.

"Outrageous!" The Rockland Jewish Alliance Group declared on X. " Ken Zebrowski's final goodbye stab to Rockland County's Orthodox Jewish Community: Bill A10407 proposes a state board for ERCSD, overriding elected board members, free choice of students parents, hiking property taxes, eliminating universal bussing, and more."

"I would encourage all my colleagues to vote NO on this bill." New York State Assemblyman Karl Brabenec shares with Rockland Daily. "This bill overrides the will of all voters of the district and sets a terrible slippery slope for Albany bureaucrats to take away local control and the democratic process. Albany officials cannot properly manage state finances, and now they want to take over finances for this school district.  It's a bad idea."

"Mr. Zebrowski represents about 10% of the district," ERCSD former President and present Trustee Harry Grossman shares exclusively with Rockland Daily.  It is Mr. Brabenec and Mr. McGowan who represent the overwhelming majority of the district.  Unfortunately, in a Democrat-controlled Assembly, they tend to be ignored.  

"The fiscal monitor in the district has stated multiple times in public sessions that the state has short-changed the district by $20 million dollars a year or $400 million over the past 20 years.  It seems Mr. Zebrowski's arrows are pointed the wrong way.  It is the State Legislature that requires the fiscal control board, not the school district.  If Mr. Zebrowski was correct, wouldn't the monitors over the past almost ten years have uncovered the fiscal shenanigans?  They have not because there are none.  The only ones playing with the books are the New York State Assembly and Senate as they continue to rob the district.  Establishing a fiscal control board would not add a single dollar to the district.  Rather, it would continue to dodge the negligence of the State Legislature in properly funding the district.  The 2020 census clearly showed that the district is an extremely poor district, yet the state considers it one of the richest because foundation aid is modified based on the wealth ratio, i.e., the ratio between total property values relative to the number of public school students.  In a district where 3/4 of the children attend private schools, the formula doesn't work.  Yet, years later, the Legislature STILL hasn't changed it.  That's where Mr. Zebrowski's efforts should be targeted. Unfortunately,  that isn't where his political bread is buttered."

"The East Ramapo Central School District is unique and requires forward-thinking solutions," Senator Bill Weber tells Rockland Daily. "The heavy-handed experiment of installing two monitors has proven ineffective. Seven more monitors with authoritarian control are also not the way to go. There are better ways than bureaucratic government overreach and taking away voter rights. In the short term, more state funding is required. The recently passed New York State budget allocated 2.4 billion dollars for the migrant crisis, yet the majorities in both chambers have yet to allocate funds for East Ramapo, a financially struggling district with over a thousand new migrant students. I have also proposed innovative legislation separating private school-mandated services from the public school system, which would be a better, lasting solution."

Rockland Daily reached out to other state legislators and candidates for the State Legislature regarding the bill and was told that as they would like to review the bill in full in the coming days, they were choosing not to comment at this time.