Update: NY Regional High Schools

1. Update: NY Regional High Schools Dr. Bruce Fraser Executive Director NY State Rural Schools Association btf27@cornell.edu

2. Overview: Tonight’s Presentation • Introduction-RSA and Topic • Challenges • History of Regional High Schools in NY • Recent Push for Expanded Regional High School Options • Update-The Latest • Where Does That Leave Us? • Questions and Comments

3. Rural Schools Association • 265 members-238 districts and 27 BOCES. • 107 High Need to Resource Capacity Districts. • 127 Average Need to Resource Capacity Districts. • 4 Low Need to Resource Capacity Districts • Membership From Across the State but Stronger in Central and Western New York

4. RSA’s Position onConsolidation/Reorganization • Believe very strongly that decisions concerning Consolidation/Reorganization should be made by local School Boards and local voters… • Opposed to proposals like those that provide the Commissioner, or any other governmental agency authority to make decisions on behalf of local school districts.

5. RSA Position on Regional High Schools… • For each of the last five years our position paper has advocated for legislation that would permit Regional High Schools… • Again, we want that decision making process to remain in the hands of local Boards and local voters… • And we do not believe Rural Schools should be starved into having no other option but to regionalize/consolidate…

6. July 2010: Wayne CountyRegional HS Feasibility Study… Recommendation #1: Legislation should be enacted in New York State that describes the operation of regional high schools since no such guidance currently exists.

7. Regional High Schools… • They Exist… • They are already here… • Options are limited…

8. NY Law and History: Regional High Schools • Nassau County—In 1925, in response to a petition the Commissioner authorized the creation of a Central High School District in Valley Stream. • This action was based upon a 1917 legal provision authorizing the formation of central high school districts for Grades 7-12 by residents of two, or more, adjacent elementary school districts. • Legal authority revoked for the rest of the state in 1944 when this approach was replaced by legal provisions promoting centralization on a K-12 basis. • Three districts grandfathered: Valley Stream, Sewanhaka, and Bellmore-Merrick

9. NY Law and History: Regional High Schools (Cont.) • Suffolk County—The law authorizing Central High School Districts, revoked in 1944, was reinstated in 1981 to enable the formation of central high school districts only in Suffolk County. • Under this law Eastport and South Manor operated two K-8 districts (with one merged HS district) until the three districts merged in 2003.

10. NY Law and History: Regional High Schools (Cont.) • Under special legislation signed by governor Pataki in November 2005 Tech Valley High School opened in September 2007. • Tech Valley High School serves students from seven counties. It is operated under the auspices of Capital Region BOCES but has an independent governing board. Students receive diplomas issued by their local district.

11. NY Law and History: Regional High Schools • Tuitioning high school students to neighboring school districts has been a long standing practice. • A school board that determines to “tuition out” its entire secondary program must receive local voter approval for that action. • Commissioner’s Regulations provide for a formula for the calculation of tuition. • An example of this approach is employed in the Wyoming Central School District which tuitions all Gr. 9-12 students to contiguous districts.

12. Considerations…Reasons to look at Regional HS plan... • Enrollment trends… • Cost increases… • Flat, reduced state aid… • Tax burdens… • Tax cap legislation… • Program quality concerns… • Desire to continue as a district (preferable to consider regional HS vs. reorganization)…

13. Recent Legislative Push • Last July Senator Young’s proposal (S5184) passed unanimously in the Senate. No action was taken on the Bill in the Assembly. • Similar legislation was introduced this year with strong support from Assemblyman Goodell. • In early March 2012 there were meetings that led people to be optimistic that their bill would be adopted in conjunction with the budget.

14. Highlights: Senator Young’s Bill • Regional High Schools could be entered into on a contract basis following these procedures: • A resolution was passed by Board of Education proposing the establishment of such a high school. • The contract was submitted to the Commissioner of Education and approved. • Upon the Commissioner’s approval the Regional High School shall be established by the majority vote of each of the Boards of Education.

15. Highlights: Senator Young’s Bill • Provides two options: • One district will serve as host for the regional high school (Host District option), or • The Regional High School shall be operated under the auspices of BOCES (BOCES option)

16. Concerns: Senator Young’s Bill • No public vote in districts moving to a regional high school model. • Employee rights/seniority become complicated and raise some concerns. • This Bill called for the same level of state aid being provided to participating school districts as would be provided for districts undertaking full consolidation. • Restrictions concerning consolidations were not viewed as appropriate (applied only to certain regions, limited within BOCES)

17. Regents/Legislative Proposal… • Would allow three or more school districts to implement a regional secondary school. • Two models proposed, including: • Host District Model: One of the participating districts provides the regional secondary school, serving as host. Sending districts pay tuition to host district. • BOCES Model: BOCES operates the regional secondary school.

18. Provisions for both Models • The regional secondary school is accountable for student results and awards diplomas… • Sending districts may send all, or part of their secondary school student population if at least one high school is closed. • Regional secondary school will provide athletics and the sending district will discontinue their athletic program. • Boards must approve motion to participate and local voter approval is required in each school district.

19. Provisions for both Models • Employees that may be displaced from the sending districts have rights to positions in the regional secondary schools. • The proposed legislation will specify that existing facilities are to be utilized where possible. • Sending school districts will provide pupil transportation to the regional secondary school.

20. Financial Incentives… • Each sending district will pay the host school district, or BOCES a tuition amount. • State Aid will be provided to each sending district based upon the characteristics of the sending school district. • Regional High School transition aid will be provided for a period of five years, equal to 10% of the 2006-07 Selected Operating Aid per Pupil times Total Aidable Pupil Units. • Incentive state aid (five percent) will be provided sending districts if goals achieved.

21. Where are we now… • Slight chance of new law passing during balance of this legislative session. • Encourage you to Read Ontario and Wayne County studies just as background… • Don’t Rush…consider all alternatives

22. Key Planning Challenge for Regional High Schools… • In essence, you are asking the public to compare one unknown (what will my district’s HS program be like 2-3 years from now) versus a second unknown (what will be the quality of new regional high school program)…

23. Key Planning Challenge for Regional High Schools… • Planners must project both a clear vision and the competence to implement that vision…

24. Suggested Links: • Wayne County Regional High School Study: • http://www.dos.state.ny.us/lg/publications/LGEProjectReports/2008/RHS_Final_Study_w-Cover7-10.pdf • Ontario County Regional High School Study: • http://www.cgr.org/ontariohsstudy/docs/OntarioRegionalHSPublicPresentationsJan2012.pdf

25. Questions & Comments Contact information: Dr. Bruce Fraser btf27@cornell.edu 607-255-8056