education new york online education new york online education new york online
Search
Today's Info Policy News
Weekly Archive
Information Policy
about
contact us
site map
Search

We'd like to hear from you! Please report broken links OR submit comments, suggestions and questions.

email:
  comments:
 

   

With the exact phrase
With all of the words
With at least one of the words
Without these words
 
Within these fields         
 
Date range limit

      Pick Date
 
Item(s) found: 58
The Impact of School-District Consolidation on Property Values
Date CapturedThursday August 23 2007, 10:32 AM
A Monthly Column by EFAP Director John Yinger. Yinger writes, "Overall, this evidence implies that consolidation yields net benefits to the average household in a small rural school district, but that consolidation is not popular with high-income households anywhere in rural New York."
Long Island Schools Consider Pooling Resources and Investments
Date CapturedThursday July 12 2007, 8:35 AM
NY Times reports, "School and government officials on Long Island want to pool their resources and financial investments to operate more efficiently and tap into higher interest rates in what they say could become a model for the rest of New York State."
Maine school consolidation proposal raises eyebrows
Date CapturedThursday January 11 2007, 8:45 AM
Maine Coast Now reports, "[Maine]Governor John Baldacci’s proposal to consolidate 152 school districts into 26 played to mixed reviews in Waldo County. The reaction from school superintendents in School Administrative Districts 3, 34 and 56 in Waldo County ranged from skeptical to cautious. The governor said his plan wouldn’t close any schools, but would reduce the number of superintendents. With the savings from consolidating 290 central office administrations, Baldacci would put more dollars into the classrooms, benefiting teachers and students, he said."
Mississippi education issues lost in funding battles
Date CapturedSunday January 07 2007, 7:25 AM
Clarion-Ledger reports, "The biggest untouchable issue is school consolidation. Mississippi clearly doesn't need 151 school districts. But consolidation steps on school administrators' turf. It makes communities confront issues of community and racial groupings. It could even, oh horror, affect a basketball or football team. Lawmakers won't touch it."
Few solutions, plenty of ideas in Suffolk County
Date CapturedTuesday January 02 2007, 5:27 AM
Newsday reports, "The Commission to Evaluate School District Expenses and Efficiency has held four public hearings since September - and 50 speakers offered their recipes for reducing the cost of public education. Now comes the sifting. The alternatives will be considered by the 12-member panel and evaluated in a report due in March. The suggestions include: consolidating school districts so there's only one per town; increasing class sizes beyond the third grade; funding sports programs through user fees, and pooling among the districts the costs for school-bus transportation, security and building maintenance."
Many Nebraska lawmakers uncertain how to tackle education issues
Date CapturedSaturday December 30 2006, 9:42 AM
AP reports, "A survey of 49 state senators by The Associated Press revealed significant uncertainty about whether to reorganize elementary-only, known as Class I, school districts that were forced to merge with larger districts. Lawmakers seem uncertain about repealing a law that calls for dividing Omaha Public Schools into three districts, a move that has attracted lawsuits from some who argue it would further segregate whites and minorities in the city."
South Dakota lawmakers ponder introducing school-consolidation measure
Date CapturedSaturday December 30 2006, 9:24 AM
AP reports, "A group of lawmakers who served on a state task force will propose a measure that would require many school districts with fewer than 200 students to consolidate by July 2009, Senate Republican Leader Dave Knudson of Sioux Falls said. The state would put together a merger plan for any of those schools that do not consolidate by that deadline, he said Friday. The consolidation plan would not apply to sparsely populated school districts, mostly in western South Dakota, that cannot consolidate because distances between schools are too great, Knudson said."
Merging schools, violence?
Date CapturedThursday December 28 2006, 12:23 PM
THE DECATUR DAILY reports, "Increased violence is the No. 1 concern of Lawrence County [Alabama] students who were surveyed about the possible consolidation of high schools. The school board recently agreed to pursue a school realignment plan. The board has not approved a specific plan, but most board members said they are open to consolidating the seven county high schools into one, two or three schools. All plans would include the construction of a new high school."
Education: For rich towns, breaking up's the thing to do
Date CapturedTuesday December 26 2006, 11:07 AM
AP reports, "This month Barnstead asked the state Board of Education for permission to withdraw from its shared school administrative unit with Pittsfield, citing money as the reason. Because multi-town SAUs pay for education with a formula that counts the number of pupils in each town and the town's assessed property valuation, Barnstead -- with fewer students and more property wealth -- is paying a larger share of the SAU's $419,613 annual operating costs. 'There's a perceived inequity,' said Keith Couch, chairman of the Barnstead School Board. 'The perception is we've got less kids, so how could we be paying more?'"
Rome schools facing changes
Date CapturedTuesday December 26 2006, 3:54 AM
UticaOD.com reports, "Major changes could be in store for Rome's schools, including consolidation or reorganization within the eight elementary schools, school officials said. The district is preparing a long-range plan, in part to deal with declining enrollment. A proposal may be presented to voters in May."
Arkansas districts want to reduce number of school switches
Date CapturedSaturday December 23 2006, 8:59 AM
The Morning News reports, "Officials in Rogers and Bentonville school districts want to reduce the number of times students switch schools as they go from elementary school to high school."
Study prods U-E, M-E to opt against consolidation
Date CapturedFriday December 22 2006, 5:46 AM
Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "The Maine-Endwell and Union-Endicott school districts have decided not to consolidate transportation facilities and bus maintenance services because the move would increase -- not decrease -- costs to taxpayers, according to a study."
Education quality as well as costs should guide Hawaii school mergers
Date CapturedMonday December 18 2006, 7:28 AM
Honolulu Star-Bulletin writes, "The board is likely contemplating how a new formula to divvy up funding based on students' educational needs will work if there are fewer schools in competition. When the Weighted Student Formula was first worked out, smaller schools were faced with devastating cuts. A revised formula resulted in larger schools losing what they felt was an unfair share. The conflict finally sent the board and the Department of Education back to the drawing board. Consolidation might be playing a role in a final resolution."
New Jersey legislative tax reform effort fizzles
Date CapturedFriday December 15 2006, 9:37 AM
Star-Ledger reports, "Falling far short of their promise to deliver comprehensive property tax reform by year's end, state lawmakers yesterday shied away from voting on controversial bills to spur mergers of towns and school districts and trim public officials' pensions."
Schools look at shared services
Date CapturedWednesday December 13 2006, 9:38 AM
Buffalo News reports, "Possible shared services include equipment, sports facilities and administration. Fredonia Superintendent Paul DiFonzo is Fredonia's lead applicant contact person for the grant."
Putting schools and heads together
Date CapturedSunday December 03 2006, 2:38 PM
Buffalo News reports, "Over the next three weeks, city residents are being given the opportunity to look at proposals the Niagara Falls School Board is considering to consolidate schools. While they learn about the plans, they also will be asked to share ideas that might improve upon them."
Rural schools reach out for students and survival
Date CapturedSunday December 03 2006, 8:50 AM
Times Union reports, "At Keene, the per-student cost runs about $20,000 per year, even more if one counts the debt service, Johnston said. The state average is $13,826 per student as of the 2003-04 year, the latest for which full statewide figures were available."
Fewer kids, fewer California schools
Date CapturedSaturday November 25 2006, 8:33 AM
Sacremento Bee reports, "The California Legislative Analyst's Office reports that K-12 public school enrollment -- or average daily attendance -- will drop next year by 6,000 students from a total of more than 6 million pupils statewide. Though seemingly modest, the drop signals considerable challenges for schools as statewide enrollment is expected to continue falling through 2010 as the children of the post World War II baby boom generation move beyond school age."
Recommendations for Berlin Central School District discussed
Date CapturedWednesday November 22 2006, 7:13 AM
Troy Record reports, ""The charge to the committee, a 25-member group of parents, teachers, staffers and other stakeholders, was to explore long and short term solutions to the table for the board to consider. With the help of Questar III, the committee explored a number of options and outlined the pros and cons of each option. Now the board will have to determine which options to take."
Less costly options needed for Rochester special events, schools
Date CapturedSunday November 19 2006, 7:17 PM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle writes, "Too many well-paid, high-ranking police officers are upping their pension benefits using the city's liberal overtime policies. And they're doing it by providing such off-duty services as crosswalk escorting at busy downtown intersections during events at the Blue Cross Arena. Officers, on regular duty, are also being assigned to city schools to help maintain order and prevent violence. But it's arguable whether such assignments are the best use of trained law enforcement personnel."
422 would repeal Nebraska Class I schools consolidation
Date CapturedWednesday November 01 2006, 9:40 AM
Daily Nebraskan reports, "Referendum 422 supporters say forced consolidation renders small communities incapable of having accessible schools that are sensitive to a rural community's needs. But perhaps the opposition's biggest concern is focused on the idea that LB126 has eliminated the ability of rural communities to dictate how its community education should operate."
Time for Vermont to consider district consolidation
Date CapturedWednesday November 01 2006, 8:05 AM
Burlington Free Press reports, "Commissioner Cate deserves credit for moving this discussion [consolidation] forward. However, the ultimate decision will -- and should -- rest with local communities. Montpelier cannot insist that any district share its governance, close a school, shrink its personnel or impose other cost-saving measures. Instead, the commissioner, governor, lawmakers and the public should continue to openly discuss the proposal."
Voters may opt to replace 616 school districts with 21
Date CapturedTuesday October 24 2006, 8:59 AM
AP Tom Hester reports, "Plan would put question on November 2007 ballot asking voters in all 21 counties to create countywide districts to try to control property taxes. New Jersey now has 616 school districts. • If approved, new districts would begin operating July 1, 2009. • County school boards would be created. • The governor would appoint a chief school administrator to oversee each district. • The school chief would serve a term of three to five years. • Taxes still would be assessed and collected by municipalities. • No student would be required to change schools."
Sullivan West, where the buck stops nowhere
Date CapturedSunday October 22 2006, 8:07 AM
Times Herald-Record reports, "A new high school for your district. Renovations to make your old schools seem new. Better education for your kids. At virtually no cost to you, since the state picks up 95 percent of the tab. That's what folks in western Sullivan County were promised when they voted to merge three school districts. Back then, in 1999, the future seemed as bright as the summer sun glistening on the Delaware."
NEW JERSEY OPINIONS ON SCHOOL FUNDING
Date CapturedWednesday October 18 2006, 8:52 AM
Conducted for: Association for Children of New Jersey by Monmouth University Polling Institute. Data Collection: September/October 2006.
Let the New Jersey school merger fight begin
Date CapturedWednesday October 18 2006, 8:30 AM
Star-Ledger reports, "[New Jersey] State lawmakers will begin discussing a series of proposals today to establish 21 countywide school offices that would oversee virtually every function of public education, a change proponents say will save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars a year. The offices, each controlled by a single superintendent and four- member county board, would replace hundreds of local superintendents and central office staff."
New York State comptroller’s audit alleges school district wasted $12 million in taxpayer money
Date CapturedTuesday October 17 2006, 8:19 PM
Mid-Hudson News reports, "The audit charged the district wasted $12.5 million in taxpayer money because the district did not property address building occupancy levels and declining enrollment, which led to the closure of the Delaware Valley and Narrowsburg school buildings. The audit also said the district did not realize $2.1 million in savings due to economies of scale in staffing levels because it did not have a comprehensive strategic plan in place."
New Jersey county districts could diversify schools
Date CapturedThursday October 05 2006, 10:37 AM
Star-Ledger reports, "Corzine [New Jersey governor] said he is not supporting local government or school district consolidation as a way to confront segregation in New Jersey schools, but he sees it as a side benefit of consolidation in the interest of property tax relief."
Consolidation will cut school bus costs by 21 percent this year
Date CapturedTuesday September 19 2006, 9:25 AM
Daily and Sunday Review reports, "Due to the Towanda School District’s school consolidation project, which closed three elementary schools last June, the Towanda School District was able to eliminate three yellow school bus routes this year, along with one van route, school district Business Manager Doreen Secor said at Monday’s School board meeting. Consequently, the school district’s expense of paying bus contractors to transport students to and from school this year will be $918,000, which is $245,000 less than the $1.16 million that the school district paid last year for the school bus service, Secor said."
New Jersey school districts pooling bank accounts
Date CapturedMonday September 11 2006, 9:25 AM
Northjersey.com reports, "'The banking consortium is important for smaller districts because we cannot maintain significant fund balance or surplus to make our monthly balances attractive to financial institutions,' said Gustello, whose district has a 2006-07 school budget of $10 million. 'Participating in a consortium makes smaller districts more appealing [to banks].'"
Maryland, Toronto government mergers to be scrutinized
Date CapturedWednesday September 06 2006, 9:48 AM
AP reports on New Jersey tax reform, "New Jersey has about 1,400 local governments, and many believe taxpayers can save money if they're consolidated or enticed to share services. Still, three professors last week told the special committee that mergers wouldn't produce major savings and may cost more money."
Tier districts see cost of diesel fuel triple over 5 years
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 5:58 AM
Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "Students may go on fewer field trips, and late bus runs may be reduced as school districts across the Southern Tier grapple with rising diesel fuel costs that have more than tripled over the past five years."
Northeastern Clinton Central School estimates costs for facilities improvements
Date CapturedMonday September 04 2006, 10:24 AM
Press Republican reports, "Early estimates show Northeastern Clinton Central School taxpayers' pockets would be harder hit by construction of a completely new consolidated elementary facility than if the existing buildings were expanded and renovated. That's because state aid for the former would come in at about 82 percent versus an estimated 58 percent for a stand-alone building."
County school systems, property taxation equality to be examined
Date CapturedSunday September 03 2006, 10:23 PM
AP reports, "A national school finance expert recently told a special committee studying New Jersey school funding that it should look to Maryland as an example of a state that has balanced fiscal and educational concerns. Smith's committee will also hear from Toronto officials on their government consolidation efforts."
New Jersey double districts need to be consolidated
Date CapturedThursday August 31 2006, 6:43 PM
Examinter Op-Ed contributor Cy Thannikary, Citizens for Property Tax Reform, Allentown writes on New Jersey's fragmented school system, "This fragmented school system leads to corruption, inefficiency and political power play at the local levels. If we have to achieve any reduction in property tax, we need to address this inefficient system. Many experts, including educators are of opinion that at least some of these school districts, especially the double districts, can be consolidated without sacrificing educational quality of our children."
Rhinebeck schools, town will share facilities
Date CapturedTuesday August 29 2006, 10:34 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "The school district will be able to use the town's athletic fields and other outdoor facilities while the town will be able to use the school district's buildings."
New Jersey's not alone in its property tax revolt
Date CapturedMonday August 28 2006, 10:19 AM
Asbury Park Press reports, "Property taxes this year have replaced state income taxes as the favorite tax-cut target of legislatures. In New Jersey, after raising the sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent in July to help cut property taxes by about $600 million, the Legislature has returned in a special session to find more ways to cut. Among items on the agenda: consolidating local governments and limiting the retirement benefits of state and local government workers."
New Jersey school funding, shared services, pensions to get scrutiny
Date CapturedSunday August 27 2006, 8:16 PM
AP reports, "As lawmakers strive to cut New Jersey's soaring property taxes, they will focus this week on the state's unused school funding formula, whether taxpayers can save by merging governments and what retirement plans are available for public employees."
Does extra layer of smart people in education help, hurt communication?
Date CapturedThursday August 17 2006, 6:52 PM
Benton Courier city editor Mike Dougherty opined on the education communications divide, "How can the state talk with the locals successfully to achieve what is best for educating our children when they seem to be talking a different language?"
U of Pennsylvania researcher to speak about centers approach
Date CapturedThursday August 17 2006, 8:17 AM
The Mercury reports on proposed grade configuration, "Specifically, he [Harris Sokoloff, researcher] has been looking into a concept now being considered by the school board in which Pottstown’s traditional neighborhood K-5 elementary schools would be eliminated. In their place, students would be taught in 'centers' in which two consecutive grades would be concentrated. Under this concept, all Pottstown’s second- and third-graders would be in a single 'center,' the third and fourth grades in another."
Illinois local district merger panel plans low profile during tax-hike campaigns
Date CapturedMonday August 07 2006, 9:09 AM
Liberty Suburban Chicago Newspapers reports, "School parent groups in Darien are rallying troops to campaign for property tax hikes this fall, but one recently formed committee plans to keep quiet. That group was formed by the superintendents of Darien School District 61 and Cass School District 63 in June to study whether the two districts should merge. It could ultimately have a greater impact on the town's public schools than any referendum measure on the November ballot."
Cost-saving ratio: Consolidation
Date CapturedMonday August 07 2006, 8:01 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin opined, "There are many differences between Pittsburgh and Broome County -- Roosevelt plans to close 22 schools, in fact -- but the statistics at least show that it's possible for one administration to supervise a collection of high schools. And that's something that tax-strapped Broome County really ought to start considering. It wouldn't mean the end of the Union-Endicott and Vestal football rivalry, or the loss of teachers or schools. But a countywide school district could mean a reduction in administrative costs."
Maryland Gov. consolidates early learning with education
Date CapturedFriday August 04 2006, 8:14 AM
Baltimore Sun op-ed contributor Sandra J. Skolnik, executive director of the Maryland Committee for Children writes, " Consolidating early care and education with K-to-12 education is a move supported by research, logic, and economics, creating a continuum of development from birth through grade 12. And yet, it breaks with decades of thinking that held 'education' in the K-12 silo while state involvement in early care has been largely the purview of social service departments. It required vision from Maryland's governor, legislative leaders, and state school superintendent to make a break with past thinking and with entrenched bureaucratic interests. It remains to be seen whether other states will muster the political will to do so."
Can New Jersey municipalities save by consolidation?
Date CapturedThursday August 03 2006, 10:02 AM
AP reports, "New Jerseyans love neighborhood schools, town halls, county identities, and local fire departments. The state has 1,389 such governmental entities, and each collects property tax."
Low enrollment threatens school
Date CapturedThursday August 03 2006, 9:46 AM
The Post-Standard reports, "If St. Daniel closes, it would follow the closing in June of four other schools in the diocese. The closing of Cathedral, St. James and St. Patrick schools in Syracuse and St. Ann in Onondaga were blamed on declining enrollment, changing demographics and increasing operating costs. The closings were part of a consolidation that will create three Bishop's Academies at Most Holy Rosary, Holy Family and St. Charles Borromeo schools and one Cathedral Academy at Our Lady of Pompei School this September."
Northeastern Clinton Central Schools considers building new or closing old buildings
Date CapturedWednesday August 02 2006, 8:20 AM
The Press-Republican reports, "Sometime in December, Northeastern Clinton Central School District voters may be deciding whether to build a consolidated elementary facility."
Mergers proposed for schools for blind and deaf
Date CapturedMonday July 24 2006, 11:23 AM
CNN reports, "A handful of states have already merged their schools, including Arizona, South Carolina and West Virginia. In Washington state, Governor Chris Gregoire has asked a team to review all of the state's residential schools before the 2007 legislative session, to look for cost efficiencies."
How Jersey became the land of so many towns -- and taxes
Date CapturedSunday July 16 2006, 7:46 PM
Star-Ledger reports, "Some school districts were formed to ensure racial segregation."
Ohio law will make school mergers easier
Date CapturedMonday July 10 2006, 9:24 PM
Pantagraph.com reports, "School district mergers may become easier under a new law signed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Monday. The law allows schools that want to consolidate to do so while protecting the rights of those that don’t."
Vermont education chief to hold meetings on school district consolidation
Date CapturedSaturday July 08 2006, 11:08 AM
Boston Globe reports, "Richard Cate plans to hold 38 meetings around the state starting in the fall to determine if there is support for his proposed plan to reduce the number of school districts from 284 to 63."
Closing schools, while sad, is not the disaster some parents or students fear
Date CapturedTuesday July 04 2006, 8:28 AM
PressRepublican.com reports, "Experience tells us there are few more dispiriting developments in a community's history than the closure of a neighborhood school. It is invariably a change in the area's life that is embraced only by the administrators, who know it is the right thing to do."
Smaller classes, bigger budgets
Date CapturedTuesday July 04 2006, 8:11 AM
The Citizen reports, "Whatever the causes, falling student populations are changing the face of education in rural areas. Though student numbers are down, costs continue to rise, which presents a major challenge for districts with a disintegrating tax base. In addition, fewer students translates into less state aid to help keep tax levies in check."
Is consolidation a dirty word?
Date CapturedSunday June 18 2006, 11:09 AM
District size doesn't guarantee success
Date CapturedTuesday June 06 2006, 10:15 AM
New Jersey school funding reform proposal
Date CapturedWednesday May 10 2006, 6:48 PM
Gov. Sebelius Signs Bills to Improve Kansas Schools
Date CapturedSaturday May 06 2006, 9:02 AM
Illinois law would reform school mergers
Date CapturedFriday April 28 2006, 12:12 AM
NSBA Rural Schools and Consolidation Policy Paper
Date CapturedFriday November 25 2005, 9:32 PM



Back to Top of Page