Merger Questions & Answers

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. We know how important our school is to students, parents and local residents. 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 Paul Williamsen at 518-661-8207 or williamsen.paul@mayfieldcsd.org.

The process

Q. Is there a plan to merge Mayfield CSD with one or more other school districts?
A. No, there is no plan. We have entered into a merger study with Northville CSD as we look for ways to save money and to expand opportunities for our students. There is no plan in place; nothing is finalized.

Q. So, would you consider a merger?
A. 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?
A. Both boards of education have selected the SES Study Team to perform a detailed study that will help us weigh the pros and cons of a merger. Both boards have also selected Community Advisory Committees. There is also a Steering Committee comprised of both superintendents and members of both boards.

Q. This sounds expensive. Who’s paying the bill?
A. The state recently approved a $35,000 Local Government Efficiency Grant. The grant, along with $5,000 of “in-kind money” contributed by each district, will pay for the study. The in-kind money is not going to the consultants.

Q. How long will this study take?
A. SES plans to have a report ready by or before Nov. 15, 2011.

Q. What schools are part of this study?
A. The state approved a study to explore a combined Mayfield and Northville school district. Representatives from the Edinburg Common School District will also be at the meetings due to the fact the preK-6 district currently sends their students in grades 7-12 to Northville.

Q. What will the study include?
A. 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.

Q. What happens after SES issues its report?
A. There will be lots of work to do for the two school boards because many details will have to be sorted out. You can expect to know answers to questions such as : “Exactly how would a merger change the education we can offer our students?”, “What happens to seniority and staffing?”, and “What about families whose children might attend schools in two different towns?” If we can satisfactorily settle all of these details, then each Board of Education will vote to decide whether it wishes to move forward. If both boards agree, the process moves to the next step. If one board votes against a merger, the two-way proposal ends.

Q. Will the community have a say?
A. Yes. If both school boards give the go-ahead to a merger, each district 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 both districts approve both referenda. Again, if one district votes against a merger, the two-way proposal ends.

Q. The community’s only role is to vote?
A. No, the community will be an important part of the process. We have already sent out letters and formed a special Community Advisory Committee. Both Mayfield and Northville appointed 15 members to serve on their committees, which are expected to meet approximately once a month through November, 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.

Q. What about those who aren’t a part of the advisory committee; will they have a chance to speak?
A. We understand that people will have different opinions and concerns. We will invite community comment after we receive the SES report.

Q. If the Boards of Education and the communities approve a merger, when would a merger take place?
A. 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

Q. Why consider a merger?
A. 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). Because of that reduction, we’ve had to reduce staff the past two years. So, 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 also 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.

Q. Will a merger fix the problem?
A. We don’t know for certain. That’s why we have undertaken a merger study.
Here’s what we do know:
• 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.
• This study will help us determine the advantages and disadvantages of a merger.

Q. But, aren’t there “extras” that we don’t need?
A. 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.

Q. What about increases in state aid for consolidating?
A. Historically, school districts that merge receive a 40 percent increase in operating aid for five years. The additional funds then decrease by 4 percent each year, ending after 14 years.

Q. Are there any other districts in the region that are merging?
A. The Illion CSD is currently in the middle of a merger study with three other districts (Mohawk, Frankfurt-Schuyler, and Herkimer). School mergers are actually very common in New York State. There are 696 school districts in the state, down from 10,000 at the turn of the 20th century. More than one-third of these districts have enrollments of 500 or fewer students.

Q. Don’t kids get a better education in a small school?
A. 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 4,100 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.