Agenda

• Call to Order

• Pledge of Allegiance

• Introduction

• Presentation by Superintendent Skahill

• Input from the community

• Adjournment

Important to Note• This is an informational presentation and discussion

that contains relevant information about acomprehensive study that was recently presented tothe districts that commissioned it.

• Brocton is one of four school districts involved.

• The Board of Education and Administration would notmake any commitments or decisions about schooldistrict merger without holding this town meeting.

Purpose of Tonight’s

Meeting• To present information on where we are as a district

• For the Board to gain information from the communityon how they should proceed in the future

• Discuss School District Organization

• Discuss merger study invitation from Westfield andRipley

• Discuss options for potential reorganization

• Answer questions to the extent that we can

• But most importantly -- LISTEN

Definitions

• Shared Services—partner with anotherentity for mutual benefit

• School District Reorganization—physically changing the boundaries oreducational function of a school district,requires formal study, state support andlocal voter approval of all communitiesinvolved.

Shared Services

• The Brocton Central School District Board ofEducation and Administration are committedto sharing services with school districts andmunicipalities within the region, if theoutcome is beneficial to students, school orschool community.

• Most shared services do not require publicreferendum, agreements may be authorizedby the Board of Education

School District Reorganization

• School district reorganization or merger mustbe approved by boards of the local schooldistricts involved, the State Department ofEducation and most importantly—publicreferendum

• Commissioning a study for reorganization ormerger is seen as the first step in the processof a merger with a partnering school district

Why we are here…• A shared municipal services grant funded a

comprehensive study of all options for centralizedbusiness operations in the school districts ofBrocton, Chautauqua Lake, Ripley and Westfield.

• The scope of the study included: transportationservices, athletic program management, facilitiesmanagement, instructional information services,technology coordination, food services,curriculum coordination, human resources andschool district reorganization.

Introduction

• Brocton Central School served as the leadagency for the Shared Services Study

• Joint meetings of the four boards of educationhave occurred to receive the study anddiscuss possible changes.

• Once again no school district mergerdecisions have been made by the BroctonCentral School Board of Education or itsAdministration

Introduction

• The Board of Education asked for thispublic information session to presentinformation about the Shared ServicesStudy, as well as options for the future.

• The Board of Education asks that allquestions be held until the conclusion ofthe presentation.

Charting a Course

for the Future

Brocton Central School District

Components of the Study

• Shared Services Study

– Centralized Business Office

– Other Shared Services Recommendations

– Enrollment Forecast

– School District OrganizationRecommendations

Where we are…

• Enrollment and economic decline haspresented school leaders with asignificant challenge. How does aschool district continue to operate astrong educational program in a costeffective manner when projections showcontinued decline?

Where we are

• School districts are also challenged to meetnew financial reporting and auditingrequirements from the New York StateComptroller

• School business office personnel are oftenspecialized in their duties and training, theirspecializations present great difficulty in theirabsence (vacations, leave, or emergency)

Centralized

Business Office

• The overall purpose for this study wasto assess the cost savings and otherbenefits that could result from theconsolidation of business functions ofthe Brocton, Chautauqua Lake, Ripleyand Westfield Academy and CentralSchool Districts.

Recommendations:

Centralized Business Office

Centralized Business Office

• The Shared Services Study recommendsthat business functions of the four schooldistricts be combined to increase financialcontrols, enable cross-training, provideback-up, increase efficiency and saveoperational costs.

• The study did not recommend reducingcurrent staff.

• The staffing levels in the future will need to beadjusted based on participation.

Recommendations:

Centralized Business Office

• The consultants conducted a study of thecurrent business operations in the fourdistricts and evaluated a number of potentialmodels for consolidation of their functions.

• Recently the Boards of Education for all fourdistricts passed resolutions to become partof the organization committee of the CBO.

Recommendations:

Other Shared Services

• In addition to exploring the benefits thatcould be realized with the consolidation ofthe business function, the study alsoexamined the potential efficiencies andeconomics of scale resulting from thegreater sharing of services in other areas.

Recommendations:

Other Shared Services

• The other areas include:

• Athletic Management

• Facilities Management

• Food Service Management

• Human Resources

• Instructional Management

• Special Education

• Technology

• Transportation

Shared Services

• In some cases the sharing of services wouldresult in the creation of a position

• The study noted that it is not always feasibleto share services due to:

– Job specifications

– Lack of savings

– Incapability of programs, software or offerings

– In some cases the sharing of services would resultin job creation

Where we are…

• This study is a direct result of schooldistricts working together to look towardthe future of education in the region.

• The most startling component of the studyis the enrollment projections for the nextfive years.

Enrollment…

Enrollment—Current

Enrollment Forecast

Secondary Enrollment…

Enrollment…

Specifically BCS…

• Total Enrollment 2002-03 = 784

• Total Enrollment 2007-08 = 635

• Total Projected Enrollment 2011-12 = 544

• Within ten years enrollments are projected

to decline 30.6%

Financial Impact

• Funding for New York State Public Schools isbased on a number of variables. However, asenrollment decrease so does the State’sfinancial support of school.

• Currently, BCS receives approximately$8,600 per student from the State, the loss of10 students represents a loss of $86,000 infunding

District Reorganization

Is it time to consider reorganization?

What options are there?

Recommendations:

District Reorganization

• The current enrollment data indicates thatenrollment will continue to decline in thefuture.

• The cost of education per pupil will risesignificantly or programs will have to bereduced or eliminated to contain costs.This will impact secondary students moredramatically than elementary students. Withinthe context of the study, the followingrecommendations are offered:

Within the context of the study, the

following recommendations are offered:

• Consolidate and share services whereverpossible among school districts.

• The Ripley Central School District should seekconsolidation or annexation with another schooldistrict.

• The Ripley, Westfield and Brocton School Districtsshould consider merging. The distance among thethree districts is not excessive to consider thisoption. The Chautauqua Lake School District doesnot appear to be advantaged by merging withother school districts because of their current taxprofile.

Within the context of the study, the

following recommendations are offered:

• Districts should work with New York Statelegislators to pass legislation to permit the creationof a Regional High School.

• Local school leaders have presented their support for theconcept of Regional High Schools to the Commission onLocal Government Efficiency and Competitiveness,which is reviewing ways that local governments can savetaxpayer dollars and become more efficient by sharingservices and undertaking regional collaboration. Thecommission was appointed by Governor Eliot Spitzer andis chaired by Stan Ludine.

The Future

• Since the release of the study, Ripley CentralSchool District and Westfield Central SchoolDistrict have opened discussions aboutpossible reorganization of the two districtsand have invited Brocton Central School tojoin in three-way merger discussions.

• BCS has been asked to indicate interest byJanuary 15th.

Historical Perspective

• NYS School Reorganizations since 1870Year Number of Districts Decrease

1870…. 11,372

1890…. 11,216 - 156

1910…. 10,565 - 651

1930…. 9,118 -1,447

1940…. 6,397 -2,721

1950…. 3,189 -3,208

1960…. 1,293 -1,896

1970…. 760 - 533

1980…. 739 - 21

1990…. 720 - 19

2000…. 704 - 16

Options for CSD

Reorganization

• Centralization

• Annexation

• Centralized High School

• Regional High School

Possible Partners

By StateEducation Law aschool district mayinitiate a mergerstudy with anadjoining schooldistrict.BCS borders:Westfield,Chautauqua Lake,Cassadaga Valleyand Fredonia

Centralization

• Education Law Section 1801-1804

• New school district is created encompassingthe entire area of the school districts to bemerged.

• Can be established through the merger of anytypes of school districts except city schooldistricts

• The districts must be adjoining

CSD Annexation

• Education Law Sections 1801 and 1803

• New district is not created. The district to beannexed is dissolved and becomes part of theannexing central school district.

• Common, union free and central districts canbe annexed to a central school district if theyare adjoining

Reorganization

• There are opposing arguments andlimitations that exist within State Law

Reorganization

Considerations—Positive

• Enhance pupil and financial base

• Provide several sections of a subject area,each fitted to pupil needs and abilities

• Extend subject offerings to include, forexample:– Multiple languages

– Specialized English courses

– New, special area social studies courses

– Advanced placement programs

– Development of programs for the less able or thegifted

Reorganization

Considerations—Positive

• Provide a broader choice of electives and co-curricular opportunities

• Increase the probability that teachers willserve only in their field of specialization

• Provide separate, specially equippedclassrooms for specific subjects

• Upgrade facilities and equipment to supportprogram requirements

Considerations for

Reorganization—Positive

• More cost effective administrativeorganization

• Eliminate duplication by pooling facilities,equipment, supplies, materials, teaching andnon-teaching staff

• Consolidation and coordination oftransportation [i.e.; routing, central garage,standardization of buses and parts]

• Additional operating aid and building aid

Considerations for

Reorganization—Negative

• A fear of losing local identity

• Perception that the communities are incompatibleand that one may benefit more than the other

• Uncertainty over Board representation andwhether or not the new district will operate asimplied during study

• Assumption that larger student enrollment willresult in less individual attention, more disciplineand drug problems, and fewer opportunities forstudent participation in sports and extra-curricularactivities

Considerations for

Reorganization—Negative

• Belief that new programs, staffing andbuilding improvements will result in highercosts and require local property tax increasesregardless of additional state incentive aid

• Concern children will be required to spendmore time being bussed to and from school

• Fear of losing job security by local districtemployees

• Natural tendency to resist change and areluctance to give up “what is” for “what mightbe”

Initiating Reorganization

• Joint meetings between the affected boardsof education to gather information todetermine if there are sufficient benefits towarrant a formal study.

• BOCES District Superintendent acts as aninformed neutral party that providesinformation, support and assistance

• If there is potential benefit, the boardsundertake a comprehensive feasibility studywith guidance from the State EducationDepartment.

Feasibility Study Purpose

• Develop information which describeshow a specific combination of districtswould operate if reorganization wereimplemented

• Serves several audiences– school district officials

– taxpayers

– Commissioner of Education

Feasibility Study Contents

• current and projected enrollments

• current and projected professional staffingplans

• current and projected housing plans

• plan for education programs and curricula

• plan for transportation

• fiscal implications of the reorganization: stateaid, expenditures and local tax effort

Communicating with the

Community

• Education Law provides for a referendum inthe communities affected by reorganization

• Public needs to be informed throughout theprocess of the study and implementation

• Joint plan and calendar should be developedfor community information process

• Goal is to reach every eligible voter so thatinformed decisions can be made at the timeof the vote

Other Options(Requiring Legislative Action)

• Centralized High School District

• Regional High School

Centralized High School

District

• Authorized in 1917 to provide secondaryeducation to children from two or more feederdistricts

• Appointed reps from the component boardscomprised the central high school board

• 1944 deemed unsatisfactory and prohibited

• 1981 Legislation reinstated for Suffolk countyonly (Eastport-South Manor)

• Creation of a High School Taxing Entity

Regional High School

• No provision in state law for this option

• State Legislative support would benecessary

• Would maintain existing programs andprovide an opportunity for additionaleducational and career specializationsthat otherwise may be lost.

Important to Note

• The Board of Education called this publicinformation session and has not committed toany sort of school district reorganization.

• The Brocton Central School Board ofEducation recognized the need to gauge thefeelings of the community and scheduled thispublic information session.

• The shared services study is on our websiteat: www.broctoncsd.org

Public Comment

• Please raise your hand and wait torecognized before addressing the Board

• When designated to speak, pleaseidentify yourself using first and lastname and area residence.

• Speaking time may be limited toaccommodate number of speakers