The Statement: education proposals from mayoral candidate Otis Jennings

From: Otis Jennings, Conservative Party

Type: part of a press conference posted on his campaign Web site

Date:  Aug. 18, 2009

URL:  http://www.otisjennings.com/issues-2/

SUMMARY:  The Web page contains the education proposals from Otis Jennings as he sought the Republican nomination for mayor. In the Sept. 15 primary, Jennings lost the GOP nomination to businessman Steve Kimatian. But Jennings remains on the ballot and continues to campaign as the candidate of the Conservative party. On his Web site, the comments on his educational program come from a press conference on Aug. 18, 2009. At the top of the page is a picture of him with a silhouette of the Syracuse skyline and an American flag in the background.

What He Says:

Jennings proposes to create closer ties between city hall and the schools. To do this, he promises to regularly visit city schools as wells as parent and teacher groups. He also calls for organizing more community groups to keep  teenagers off the streets. All of these measures, he says, are intended to promote better graduation rates and more efficient use of the education budget. On his Web site, he says, “I will go to school with your kids so I can see first hand how your tax money is being spent, help find more efficient ways to produce better results, develop partnerships to bring in more funding to create a citywide, neighborhood-focused integrated youth service delivery system that goes beyond the traditional school day.”  In boldfaced type, the Web site adds: “Why? Our graduation rate is only 50 percent.” And later, also in oldfaced type, the site adds, as explanation of his proposals: “Why? Sixty percent of the Syracuse city budget goes to education.”

The Facts:

1. “Sixty percent of the Syracuse city budget goes to public education.”

The actual number is 56 percent, according to the Syracuse city budget for 2008-2009.  The education budget gets  about $350.2 million of the $624.3 million total budget.  The second largest expense for the city is employee benefits at about $75.4 million — or 12.2 percent of the total budget.

Here is a breakdown of where some of that money goes:

• Superintendent: $181,177
• Athletic budget: $1.96 million
• Facility operation/ maintenance: $29.3 million. Teachers K-12: $68.5 million
• Average teacher salary: $60,800
• Overall regular school budget  (excluding special education and physical education): $117.6 million

 For comparison: Hampton, Va., a similarly sized city to Syracuse, the total budget is $435.7 million. Out of that, $205.2 million is spent on schools, or 47 percent of the total budget.

2. “Our graduation rate is only 50 percent..”

The graduation rate in Syracuse is 52 percent, according to the New York State Education Department.

 Conclusion:

Jennings’ descriptions of education in Syracuse are largely accurate.

 (Steve Doane is a senior newspaper major.)

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