1 Golden Bomber Dr.
Ilion, NY 13357
Phone: 315.894.9934
Fax: 315.894.2716
Superintendent
Questions and answers related to a school merger
Any discussion of a school merger raises questions and concerns—and it should. A school is an important part of a community’s history and a source of pride for parents, students, and graduates. When a small change such as a new building entrance is unsettling, it should come as no surprise that something as major as a merger study could cause worry. Along the way, people are likely to become uneasy; questions will pop up; and rumors will fly.
This question and answer section is designed to answer some of those question and to address any rumors. If you still have further questions, please feel free to contact Superintendent Cosimo Tangorra, Jr. at (315) 894-9934 or ctangorra@ilioncsd.org.
The process
Is there a plan to merge Ilion Central School with one or more other school districts?
No, there is no plan. We have simply responded to requests from area schools to consider a merger as a way to save money and to expand opportunities for our students. There is no plan in place; nothing is finalized.
So, would you consider a merger?
Yes, if it were in the best academic interest of the students and in the best financial interest of the community taxpayer. At this point, we don’t have the answers to those key questions. We don’t know how it will impact classes or bus rides or athletics. And we don’t know how it will affect area taxes.
What is happening right now?
The Boards of Education applied for and received funding from New York State to undertake a study to carefully explore a merger. On October 19th, those boards selected SES Study Team to perform a detailed study that will help us weigh the pros and cons of a merger.
That sounds expensive. Who’s paying the bill?
The total cost of the study is $55,000. The state is encouraging schools to look for ways to reduce costs, and the districts received a grant through the Department of State for $45,000. Each district is paying $2,500 toward the cost of the study.
How long will this study take?
SES plans to have a report ready by October 2011.
What schools are part of this study?
Originally, the state approved a study to explore a combined Ilion and Mohawk school district. Part way through the process, Herkimer and Frankfort-Schuyler expressed an interest. The state approved a modified proposal to include all four school districts.
What will the study include?
Essentially everything. It will help us answer questions regarding the use of buildings, the make-up of school administration, transportation, athletics, academic programs, teachers and staffing, projected impact on taxes, etc. The list is long and will probably include things we haven’t even thought of yet.
What happens after SES issues its report?
There will be lots of work to do for the four school boards.
There is an old saying that “the devil is in the details.” This is bound to be the case. Exactly how would a merger change the education we can offer our students? What happens to seniority and staffing? What about families whose children might attend schools in two different towns?
The boards will then vote whether to move the proposed merger to a public advisory referendum (straw vote).
What happens if all four boards or communities don't approve a vote?
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If the boards of education choose not move ahead, the process ends.They would then be free to pursue another course. They could explore merging two or three of the districts instead of all four, consider merging with a different district or explore a regional high school.
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If one or more communities reject the advisory referendum (straw vote), the process ends. The boards of education could then pursue other options as listed above.
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If one or more communities reject the statutory (or binding) referendum AND at least one approves it, all reorganization stops. The districts may not pursue other alternatives.
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The community or communities that reject the referendum may choose to revote at least one year and one day in the future (no earlier than March 1, 2013).
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If there is no revote, the reorganization plan remains in effect for two years. None of the districts may explore other options (merger, tuitioning students, etc.) until the plan expires on March 1, 2014.
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The community or communities that pass the referendum do not revote. (They may not change their mind.)
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Will the community have a say?
Yes. Each district whose board approved the merger will hold an initial referendum (straw vote) asking whether the voters would support a merger. With that show of support, the districts can submit the request for approval by the Department of Education. If the department approves the request, the communities will hold a second referendum, this time to formally approve the merger. A merger proceeds only if three or more districts approve both referendums. Again, if less than three support a merger, the proposal ends.
The community’s only role is to vote?
No, the community will be an important part of the process. We will ask for volunteers to be considered as members of a special Community Advisory Committee. Each district will appoint 15 members to serve on the 60-person committee, which is expected to meet approximately once a month from January 15 through December 30, 2011. The committee will meet with SES to review the study team’s data and present a picture to our communities of what a merged school district might look like.
What about those who aren’t a part of the advisory committee; will they have a chance to speak?
We understand that people will have different opinions and concerns. SES will hold one public forum in each community to share the study findings.
If the Boards of Education and the communities approve a merger, when would a merger take place?
By state education law, a merged district would begin operation on the July 1 following the second vote. The earliest that may happen would be July 1, 2012 for 2012-13 school year.
Motivation for a merger
Why consider a merger?
Education funding is changing. The nation’s economic troubles have forced New York to reduce the level of state aid it provides our district. (State aid accounts for approximately 70 percent of our school budget). Simply maintaining the programs and services we currently offer could result in the local taxpayer paying an even greater share of the costs.
Enrollment is a concern for many districts. A decline in the student enrollment, combined with anticipated changes in state aid, could result in reductions of academic and extracurricular offerings and increased class sizes.
Will a merger fix the problem?
We don’t know for certain. That’s why we have undertaken a merger study.
Here’s what we do know:
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We have already made cuts to reduce overhead and expenses. Further cuts would begin to hurt things such as those we mention below—things that people value.
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This study will help us determine the advantages and disadvantages of a merger.
But, aren’t there “extras” that we don’t need?
The majority of our budget is spent providing the very basics our students need for graduation. We often hear people complain that we should focus on the important things and cut out the extras. That sounds good in theory, but we have discovered that different people have different definitions of what’s important. To the parent of an athlete, sports might be important. To the parent of a musician, the arts might be important. To others special education, building safety, transportation, college prep courses, or BOCES career and tech classes might be important.
The fact is, everything we do is important to some of our students.
What about increases in state aid for consolidating?
Historically, the state has offered substantial increases in state aid to schools that merge. Based on the current formula, that could mean more than $100 million dollars over 14 years if our schools were to consolidate.
Don’t kids get a better education in a small school?
Not necessarily. Small schools have a difficult time offering all of the programs and services offered by larger schools. A recent New York Times article told the story of Brockton High School, Massachusetts’ largest public school. With 4100 students, Brockton High ranks in the top 10 percent of all high schools in Massachusetts. As a large school, it has more resources than smaller schools to devote to curriculum and achievement.
However, people often positively comment about the small school culture and the personal recognition that students and families receive in a smaller school.
Both of these viewpoints need to be given serious consideration when reviewing the options presented by this study.
