BOCES Eyes Regional High Schools Study

By SUSAN MENDE

CANTON - A consolidation study is being planned that will explore the option of creating a few regional high schools to serve the 18 public school districts in the St. Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services region.

The extensive study is also supposed to identify how districts can trim costs by sharing programs, services and staffing without actually merging into regional schools, according to BOCES Superintendent Thomas R. Burns.

Faced with dwindling state aid dollars and fewer students, north country schools need to consider all options as they plan for the future, he said.

"This is a realization that we can't keep doing things the same way," Mr. Burns said. "We're projecting out our enrollment figures and state aid projections. It all leads to what we know is not a happy ending."

BOCES officials have been discussing the study for more than a year during meetings with superintendents from the 18 component school districts, including 17 in St. Lawrence County and Harrisville Central School, Lewis County.

Faced with making major budget cuts in their own districts, Mr. Burns said school superintendents have been receptive to having an outside consultant perform an in-depth consolidation study and report back recommendations.

"It would have been easy for the superintendents to retreat into their own castles and not deal with this, but they haven't. The talks have really centered on what's best for students and that's encouraging," Mr. Burns said.

Districts may be forced to continue cutting programs and staffing in future years unless they implement changes to save money, he said.

"We can probably find a way to increase efficiencies and at the same time improve opportunities for kids," Mr. Burns said. "I don't think outright mergers are the only way to address this issue, but that is one of the options that will be studied."

Three consultant firms interested in doing the study have submitted proposals. A consolidation subcommittee that includes BOCES officials and some area superintendents is also reviewing the proposals.

The study would involve all 18 school districts and would likely take a full school year to complete, according to Mr. Burns.

"We want to see several options as models that improve our efficiency through some form of sharing, consolidation or mergers. At the same time we want to improve the educational opportunities that students get," he said.

Several area superintendents said they are willing to explore the idea of regional high schools, but recognize there are advantages as well as disadvantages to that option.

Transporting students to regional schools would be challenging given the large size of St. Lawrence County and the distance between many communities.

Martin J. Bregg, superintendent at Colton-Pierrepont Central School, where about 320 students are enrolled, said a regional school or academic mergers would provide students at his small school district the chance to take some advanced placement and other courses unavailable to them now.

On the other hand, he said small school districts can provide students more individual attention and the close-knit community feel that many people resist giving up.

"There is the emotional part of losing identity as a community school. Anytime someone gives me a plus side to a regional school, someone else can give me a negative," Mr. Bregg said.

About 12 years ago, residents in Colton-Pierrepont and Parishville-Hopkinton central school districts overwhelmingly voted down having a study done to explore the idea of merging the two school districts.

Mr. Burns said during the 1994-95 school year, a consolidation study was completed for BOCES that recommended creating three regional high schools, but the idea was never advanced and the report was shelved.

He believes that the state and regional financial picture has changed enough to warrant a new study, a feeling that is shared by several area superintendents.

"I do feel there is an opportunity for regional schools to work, particularly at the high school and middle school levels," said Canton Central School Superintendent William A. Gregory. "Right now districts in the region are transporting a portion of their students to BOCES' three technical centers so we have a model of how this can happen."

Before endorsing the idea of regional schools, school officials said they need to see data showing that regional schools would be less costly than keeping the existing school system.

"There are some studies out there that show it does save money and there are other studies out there that say it doesn't," said Massena Superintendent Roger B. Clough II. "It's a good step to at least start looking at it."

Massena Central is already sharing transportation and food service with Norwood-Norfolk Central School District and the study may identify other services that can be shared, he said.

Business duties and buildings and grounds are other areas that could be merged or shared.

Reducing costs is crucial in his school district, he said, which was hit hard by the closing of the Massena General Motors plant and reduced assessments on other properties, including the St. Lawrence Centre Mall, Route 37.

Potsdam Central School Superintendent Patrick H. Brady said the north country educators need to be proactive in planning for the future. He noted that his district cut 18 jobs this year to help reduce a budget deficit.

"The state is obviously in fiscal crisis and next year could be worse. Communities can't afford to have large spikes in taxes," Mr. Brady said.

Establishing regional schools may be a way to preserve academic programs, like advanced placement classes, elective classes and Project Lead the Way, a pre-engineering program offered at some of the larger districts, he said.

A regionalized school could expand the choices available to many students, particularly those from smaller districts where elective classes are limited, he said.

"There is a disparity between the type of offerings at different schools. In my mind, it's not really a fair and equitable situation," Mr. Brady said. "I think we have to think outside the box and outside of our own communities. I agree with doing this study and getting an idea of what might be viable."

Ann M. Adams, Hermon-Dekalb Central superintendent, said area superintendents will be discussing proposals for the consolidation study when they meet next week for their annual retreat in Blue Mountain Lake. About 400 students are enrolled in her district.

"I think you have to keep an open mind and look at everything," Mrs. Adams said. "The bottom line is what's best for kids without having exorbitant taxes for residents."