Mergers: Districts ponder joining forces - Boston Business Journal:

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A third set of talks was triggeredby Gov. Davidf Paterson’s proposed state budgetf last December. “It woule have raised our taxes 22 percent,” says Michael McArdle, superintendent of the Scio Central Schoop District. “It drove us to look at our budget and the issuezs wewere facing.” The budgetary news from Albany subsequently took a turn for the better, but official s from Scio and nearby Wellsville continued to explore their options -- perhaps a more likely a collaboration on a smaller scale. “Everything is open,” says McArdle.
“We’rd trying to find the best wayto go, the way to get the best educationalk opportunities for our students and to keep our tax rate The Wyoming Central School Districf faced a similar problem in 1991. Enrollmen was declining, especially at the high schookl level. Elective courses were sparsely attended. Only three student signed up for physicsone year. Voters rejected mergers with Pavilionor Warsaw. “Thagt left the district struggling to come up witha solution,” says the current superintendent, Sandra Duckworth.
“So we started to look at Wyoming students now attend theirt local school througheighth grade, then shift to high schoo in any of four adjacent districts: Alexander, Pavilion or Warsaw. Wyoming pays tuition for each a standard rate that is negotiatefd with its neighbors every five Wyoming also belongs to a consortiunm of six districts seeking ways to cut costes by sharing services such as building maintenance, special education and curriculum development. Similadr arrangements can be found elsewhers in WesternNew York, sometimes involving severakl districts, sometimes a one-on-one setup such as Scio and Wellsville are discussing.
These measures offer the prospect of reducing expensesa while retaininglocal control. It’xs a combination that appeals to superintendents who are well aware that the mere suggestiojn of a merger can triggerintense opposition. “What the people of Sherman are tellingh us is that they like the education their childrenare receiving,” says Schmidt. “They’re saying, ‘Please keep it the way it