Smithtown Matters - Online Local News about Smithtown, Kings Park, St James, Nesconset, Commack, Hauppauge, Ft. Salonga

Ira Bernstein is not for increasing Charter Schools like Senator John Flanagan because it would take money from the public schools. Flanagan has been cutting money from all the schools in his senate district. In the Middle Country School district alone,it has laost 3.2 million dollars. Commack,Northport and Smithtown will be facing the same budget cuts as well. The Senator claims that he is bringing the money back to Long Island that is spent in tax dollars.

Nothing can be further from the truth! Flanagan is the ranking member of the education committee in the senate.

Three years ago, Ira Bernstein who is challenging Flanangan for the senate seat was on the legislative committee for the Middle Country School District. Flanagan claimed there was no more money available for state aid to go to the Middle Country School. This would have meant an 8% increase to all of the Middle Country residences.

Ira, along with its committee members received thousands of letters which were submitted to Sen. John Flanagan’s office in protest.

It was because of Ira Bernstein’s effort NOT Sen. Flanagan that the residents received a 3% tax increase that year instead of 8%.

This just proves that Senator Flanagan’s own statements about bringing as much money back to the schools in his district is not so!