School merger studied
By MIKE ZUMMO/The Leader-HeraldFORT PLAIN - In uncertain budget times, two local school districts are looking closer at the prospect of combining.
Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery County Board of Cooperative Educational Services Superintendent Geoff Davis on Wednesday addressed the combined Fort Plain and St. Johnsville boards of education and gave a presentation regarding the amount of state aid that could be gained if the two districts consolidated into one.
The Fort Plain district has 880 students and St. Johnsville has about 450 students. Davis said Fort Plain is not under consideration by the state for consolidation, but the state would recommend St. Johnsville consolidate with another district.
Should Fort Plain and St. Johnsville pursue consolidation, Davis said they would have two options - centralization and central school district annexation.
Centralization would involve the dissolution of both school districts and the creation of a new school district that would encompass the entire area of the two districts. The new district would have a new Board of Education, new superintendent and new employees.
"In a centralization, the staff seniority list is combined and the new staff is selected from that new seniority list," Davis said.
Under annexation, one district takes over the other, resulting in the dissolution of the annexed district. In this case, the administration and employees of the annexing district would remain, unless new positions are created for the additional students. Staff members from the annexed district would be considered for vacancies.
"If no new positions were required, no one from the annexed district will be employed," Davis said. "They will all go on a preferred eligibility list. However, if there are vacancies, those individuals, by seniority, will be up for those jobs."
Davis said there are heavy incentives for districts that want to consolidate.
After consolidation, the state would combine the dollar amounts that both districts were to receive in aid and tack on a 40 percent bonus for the next five years. After five years, the bonus would decrease by 4 percent until it phases out after 14 years.
"It's a staggering amount of money," Davis said.
Achieving consolidation, however, is not easy.
After Wednesday's informational meeting, the first step would be for a feasibility study that would develop information about how the combined district would operate.
The study would inform school district officials, taxpayers and the commissioner of education.
Davis reminded the boards that consolidation is a public process, and it falls to voters at two separate times.
If the public initially votes in favor of consolidation, Davis said it goes to the education commissioner, who must approve the consolidation and issue the order before it goes back to the public for a final vote.
The fastest Davis said the process could take is eight months.
Mike Zummo covers Montgomery County news. He can be reached by e-mail at montco@leaderherald.com.
|
nymomma
|
|
|---|---|
|
05-23-09 9:08 AM
|
..and I do tend to agree some with Vroman.
|
|
nymomma
|
|
|
05-23-09 9:06 AM
|
SnoopyDoopy I was asking if that was part of the reason I wasnt saying it was.
|
|
SnoopyDoopy
|
|
|
05-22-09 10:27 PM
|
The circumstances are much different this time around Michael13339...I think many more people are going to be for the merger than in years past.
|
|
michael13339
|
|
|
05-22-09 10:18 PM
|
OLD News,this has been discussed before has it not,will it happen not likely.We could discuss it until we are blue in the face,but in reality we all know to well what the answer will be when it comes to vote on it..
|
|
Knickman
|
|
|
05-22-09 5:37 PM
|
A combined disrict here would creat 1 school with 1330 students. It is very inefficient to operate a school with 450 students. You would have probably 3 principals, 1 supervising, 1 elementary and 1 high school. A 1330 could have A supervising principal, an elementary, middle school and high school principal. You would have to resist keeping all of the principals from the 2 original schools.
|
|
Jay001
|
|
|
05-22-09 4:57 PM
|
I agree with Vroman...****bined district would result in a new Asst Supt for Curriculum or some other administrator...just look at larger districts. And increased state aid is only a short term benefit...just look at B-P
|
|
Vroman
|
|
|
05-22-09 4:37 PM
|
Do you folks think for one minute that school taxes would would decrease with centralization? Centralization creates a whole new monster. More administration costs, more transportation costs, etc. Keep your education programs in your home district where you can control the budget. Don't make the mistake of schools in the northern counties where kids ride for an hour or more to go to school to get an education that's no better than the one that they would get in their home town. Jim
|
|
virgo514
|
|
|
05-22-09 3:24 PM
|
I think it is a great idea.But there has been such a rivalery between these two villages for such a long time. I sure hope that doesn't interfere with peoples thinking. Just think of the benefits for the children.
|
|
SnoopyDoopy
|
|
|
05-22-09 3:04 PM
|
Nymomma...do you actually think the two schools would discus merging because a bus proposition went down? I think most people would agree that talks of a merge between the schools is not due to a transportation issue.
|
|
lizzie
|
|
|
05-22-09 3:02 PM
|
I seriously doubt this has anything to do with the bus prop going down. Fort Plain could be facing some serious financial issues in 5 years, and other districts might not be far behind. I can't believe everyone screams for consolidation, and then questions motives when entities consider it. It won't happen immediately anyway, and where kids go to school would probably depend on whether or not they need all the buildings both schools have.
|
|
IKnooow
|
|
|
05-22-09 2:29 PM
|
The state aid benefit with the 40% bonus, is definitely worth considering right now, especially since the foundation aid formula is frozen for most schools for the next couple of years.
|
|
nymomma
|
|
|
05-22-09 2:27 PM
|
Makes me curious. Will the Fort Plain kids closer to the St. Johnsville line go there for schooling or remain in Fort Plain? Or is this merely to save money on the bus issue because it got voted down?
|
|
SnoopyDoopy
|
|
|
05-22-09 1:44 PM
|
We heard you the first time! LOL
|
|
MindenMaiden
|
|
|
05-22-09 1:14 PM
|
The two districts already share a some things..including bus inspection..St. Johnsville brings their buses to Fort Plain for inspection...some handicapped kids are transported combined..
|
|
MindenMaiden
|
|
|
05-22-09 1:13 PM
|
The two districts already share a some things..including bus inspection..St. Johnsville brings their buses to Fort Plain for inspection...some handicapped kids are transported combined..
|