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Castallo and Silky Education Consultants Bill Silky and Alan Pole, Consultants

School District Merger Study Seneca Falls Central School and Waterloo Central School Report to a Joint Meeting of the Boards of Education August 5, 2013. Castallo and Silky Education Consultants Bill Silky and Alan Pole, Consultants. Acknowledgements. Both boards of education

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Castallo and Silky Education Consultants Bill Silky and Alan Pole, Consultants

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  1. School District Merger StudySeneca Falls Central SchoolandWaterloo Central SchoolReport to a Joint Meeting of the Boards of EducationAugust 5, 2013 Castallo and Silky Education Consultants Bill Silky and Alan Pole, Consultants

  2. Acknowledgements • Both boards of education • Superintendents- Mr. Robert McKeveny and Mr. Terry MacNabb • Seneca Falls & Waterloo staff • Ms. Suzanne Spear, NYS Education Department

  3. Special Thanks to the Advisory Committee Seneca FallsWaterloo Joe Capacci Carl Belawske Andy Doell Steve Bertino Nancy Galusha Deborah Brewer Mark James Michele DeVine Doug Jones Jeffrey Hoffman Matt Norsen Amanda Moore Scott Porter Theresa Patchen Chris Puylara Joseph Sposato Vivian Rescorl Elizabeth Springer Heather Zellers Kirby Weimer

  4. Purpose of the Study • To paint a current picture of each district (enrollment, program, facilities, transportation, staffing, and finances) • To make recommendations should residents of the districts choose to merge

  5. Background

  6. Highlights of the Merger Study

  7. Student Enrollment • Both districts have experienced enrollment decline in the past 6 years; Seneca Falls from 1,379 to 1,247 (-9.6%) and Waterloo from 1,950 to 1,713 (-12.2%) (2.2 & 2.3) • Combined enrollment is projected to decline from 2,927 to 2,795 (-4.5%) by 2019-20 (2.4) • There are currently 57 students attending non-public schools, most of whom are in Amish schools, who could be accommodated in the public schools if needed (2.6) • Conduct annual enrollment projections

  8. Program-Academic • Although the instructional programs in both districts are very similar, some curriculum work would have to be done to ensure consistency across the district (3.4) • A consistent academic program for core and special areas will have to be established across the schools of the merged district (3.5) • State assessments of student achievement at all grade levels are quite similar (3.6-3.12; 3.15-3.20; 3.26 & 3.27)) • All of the courses now available in both districts could continue to be offered, approximately 30 more courses could be added, and staff efficiencies could be realized given a maximum of 22 students/class (3.22-3.24) • Feasibility of bringing back the out-of-district communication skills development program

  9. Program-Extra-Curricular • All athletic and extra-curricular activities currently available in both districts could be offered (3.28 & 3.29) • Additional sports and activities could be added • Efficiencies of $103,939 could be realized • Competition for meaningful playing time will increase

  10. Facilities • Both school districts have done a good job of maintaining their school facilities (4.2) • The Seneca Falls and Waterloo facilities offer adequate space to house existing programs following a merger • Following a merger: Grades K-2 and Grades 3-5 should stay in their schools in their respective current districts with attendance areas remaining as at present. Grades 6-8 should attend school in the current Seneca Falls Middle/High School complex. Grades 9-12 should attend the current Waterloo Middle/High School complex.

  11. Transportation • The bus fleets of each district have been well maintained and are replaced at appropriate times (5.1 & 5.3) • The longest regular bus run in each district currently is no more than one hour (5.2 & 5.4) • Both of the districts currently double trip students to and from school daily. • Both current bus garages would need to remain open and active following a merger.

  12. Transportation, Continued • Elementary students should be transported as at present, but their school day would start and end approximately 30 minutes later than it does now. In the morning, middle and high school students would be picked up at the approximate time as at present and be dropped off first at the high school before proceeding to unload at the middle school. The end of the school day the buses would load students both the middle and high school simultaneously before going to the other secondary school to load students. • No student should have a bus ride to and from school that exceeds 1 hour 15 minutes maximum

  13. Transportation, Continued • Two new 66 passenger buses would need to be purchased and three additional drivers would also needed to be added to the current staff. In addition, the plan would require 26 current drivers to add about one additional hour to their daily schedule. • Seneca Falls currently provides late bus (after school) transportation for students that stay for extra help, clubs and athletics; Waterloo does not. Waterloo however does permit secondary students that stay after school hours to ride home on the elementary bus runs.

  14. Staffing • Labor contracts in the 2 districts are fairly similar (6.1) • Cost to level up teacher salaries and benefits is $187,775 (6.4) • Potential saving from 7.5 fewer administrative positions is $896,797 (6.11-6.14) • Potential saving from business office efficiencies is $37,301 (6.15) • Savings gained with the reduction of 6 high school teachers with maximum class sizes of 22 students in each of the first 3 years is $522,000 (6.5-6.8) • Total staff savings=$1,268,323 (6.18)

  15. Finances • Both districts have had consistent support of their respective communities for budget proposals presented (7.1) • Both districts are in satisfactory financial condition as seen by their most recent balance sheets and history of fund balance growth (7.2 & 7.4) • Operating expenses per student in Seneca Falls and Waterloo are quite similar with Seneca Falls being generally slightly higher (7.5 & 7.6) • Waterloo has consistently received more state aid per student than has Seneca Falls (7.7 & 7.8) Castallo & Silky-Education Consultants

  16. Finances, Continued • While the full value property wealth is slightly higher in Waterloo, the property wealth per student is higher in Seneca Falls (7.9 & 7.10) • The local tax levy and the local tax levy per student have been consistently higher in Seneca Falls (7.11 & 7.12) • The 2012-13 true value tax rate/$1,000 is $23.03 in Seneca Falls and $20.59 in Waterloo. Seneca Falls has consistently been higher over the past five years (7.13) • Seneca Falls has $14,656,175 (local share = $52,356) in outstanding capital debt that will be retired in 2024. Waterloo has $70,730,600 (local share = $11,155,059) outstanding capital debt that will be retired in 2025. Should the districts merge, it is estimated that this debt would be reduced by $700,501 due to additional state aid on existing capital debt (7.14, 7.15 & 7.20) Castallo & Silky-Education Consultants

  17. Finances, Continued • A merged district would receive $43,739,235 in incentive operating aid over a fourteen-year period, $4,604,130 for each of the first five years of the merger. (7.17) • Considering incentive operating aid, additional building aid, savings from staff reductions, budget efficiencies, additional transportation costs, and the cost of leveling up teacher salaries, it is estimated that a merged district would realize savings and additional revenues of $53,286,435 for the first fourteen years after a merger (7.20) Castallo & Silky-Education Consultants

  18. Finances, Continued • Using 40% of the incentive operating aid and the other savings outlined in Table 7.20, it is estimated that the true value tax rate for the merged district in the first year would be $18.99 per thousand, a reduction of $4.31/$1,000 or 18% in Seneca Falls and a reduction of $1.83/$1,000 or 9% in Waterloo (7.24) • In the first year of a merger, residents of all towns regardless of school district in which their property is located will see a reduction of tax rates on assessed property value if the savings/additional revenue in Table 7.20 is used to lower tax rates (7.25) Castallo & Silky-Education Consultants

  19. Finances, Continued • The newly merged district Board of Education should apportion 40% of the incentive state aid to reduce taxes and closely scrutinize its first budget to ensure that the projected efficiencies are actually achieved following the merger, thus ensuring local tax relief. The remainder of the incentive operating aid should be split approximately equally between merger transition costs and reserves for long-term stability. • The newly merged board of education should develop a financial plan to ensure long term fiscal stability for the merged district. Castallo & Silky-Education Consultants

  20. Questions???

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