Rockland districts to revisit schools merger

Aid benefits are far greater if OK’d

By Rachel Zuckerman | Manor Ink

Livingston Manor, NY – Both Roscoe and Livingston Manor school boards have decided to revisit the school merger question. Two factors influenced their views. The first is a big financial incentive, $30.7 million, up from $7.1 million, if the merger goes through before June 2025. The second factor is the exit survey results after the budget votes at both schools in May.

As part of the survey, voters were informed about the incentive and asked to indicate if the merger should be reconsidered. “In both districts, it was a two to one ‘yes’ that we should revisit it,” said Supt. John Evans.

A committee to guide restructuring

Evans expects this year’s preliminary merger vote will happen sometime in late October. Community meetings will be held in advance and will offer ways for people to learn more. A second and final vote would be scheduled only if this first vote passes.

Evans explained that if the merger goes through, a restructuring committee will make decisions for the new district, instead of having consultants or others involved in determining schedules, building use, transportation, teacher contracts and other issues. This committee would include students, parents, teachers, administrators, board members and community members.

In the new merged district, students will be able to participate in more extracurricular activities, have more classes or courses to choose from, and there will be less confusion about scheduling and transportation. Evans explained, “We can look at different classroom setups, offering classes and programs that we don’t currently provide, offer additional mental health services and more support.”

Improved transportation

Transportation to and from a combined school was a concern for many in the last merger vote. The two schools are only seven miles apart, but there are already a few students with long bus rides. The plan that Evans has in mind will maintain or even improve current transportation times, because with more funding, additional buses can be added as needed.

Also in the new merged district, a new name, colors and mascot would be chosen. A new school board would be elected and a new superintendent hired. The restructuring committee would assist with many of these tasks.

If the merger isn’t approved, then both the Roscoe and Manor districts will be getting less state aid due to decreased enrollment combined with higher incomes and real estate values, which determine aid levels. If the merger does get approved, there will be the challenges of change, but those will come with benefits, especially for students and taxpayers of both communities.

The financial case for merging districts

A merger between the Livingston Manor and Roscoe school districts would provide significant guaranteed financial benefits, but only if approved before June 30, 2025.

According to Supt. John Evans, if a merger is defeated by voters or deferred until NY State forces a merger in the future, these benefits would be diminished or lost entirely. Furthermore, the burden for school funding is about to shift to local taxpayers, because both Livingston Manor and Roscoe school districts are facing significantly reduced state foundation aid. Declines in enrollment and increases in real estate values and income wealth impact the formula used to determine the amount of foundation aid, which currently provides a greater share of the schools’ budgets than local taxes do.

The merger is an opportunity to avert these consequences. If approved by voters, the merger would unlock $30.7 million in additional state aid over 14 years, compared to just $7.1 million when voters turned down the previous proposal. This is a substantial increase. In the first five years alone, the merged district would receive over $3 million per year in incentive aid.

One-third of the $30.7 million, or $10.2 million, would be used for reducing the tax levy for local residents over the 14-year period. This would provide much-needed tax relief as the district transitions to more reliance on local taxes than state funds.

Another third would be allocated to program improvements. The merger plans aim to enhance specialty programs like arts, music and languages by pooling resources. This could result in hiring additional specialized teaching staff or re-assigning staff for the combined district.

The final third of incentive aid would be used to fund reserves. Fully funding reserves would protect the district against future costs of state mandates and ensure that opportunities for further program enhancements can be acted upon.

For any future capital projects undertaken by the merged district, the state’s building aid ratio would increase to 90 percent, compared to the current 68.8 percent for Livingston Manor and 52 percent for Roscoe. This means the state would cover 90 percent of approved project costs.

As separate districts, Livingston Manor and Roscoe have already realized many cost efficiencies by sharing 12 staff positions across both districts. A merger would allow for use of resources across a larger combined student population. The incentive aid is meant to minimize staff cuts and provide a financial cushion during the transition period.

Overall, the significant increase in incentive aid, coupled with opportunities for tax relief, operational efficiencies, program enhancements and higher building aid reimbursement, presents a compelling financial case for the proposed merger. Supt. Evans simply asks voters to “be informed of the facts when you cast your vote.”

Amy Hines