BOCES plans consolidation study

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 also is 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, 17 of them 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 return 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 also is reviewing the proposals.

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

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

Busing 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, Colton, 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 with 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 the Colton-Pierrepont and Parishville-Hopkinton districts overwhelmingly voted down having a study done to explore the idea of merging the two.

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

Mr. Burns said 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.

"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," said Canton Central School District Superintendent William A. Gregory.

School officials said that before they endorse the idea of regional schools, they need to see data showing that regional schools would be less costly than 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 Central School District Superintendent Roger B. Clough II. "It's a good step to at least start looking at it."

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

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

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

Potsdam Central School District Superintendent Patrick H. Brady said north country educators need to be proactive in planning for the future. He said 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 such as Advanced Placement classes, elective courses 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, Mr. Brady 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," he 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."