07/21/09: UB School Limits Study Suggests WNY District Consolidation To Save Money

Original YNN Buffalo Air Date: 07/21/09
A University of Buffalo School Limits Study suggests small Western New York school districts link-up to save money and resources.
There are 98 school districts in Western New York, but only a few have 15,000 to 40,000 students. The majority surface is filled districts with 1,000 or less enrollment.
UB researchers say melding the smaller areas with adjacent major districts to help streamline operations and personnel.
Carratagus Central and Little Valley School Districts consolidated it in 2000. Brocton and Fredonia are eyeing a similar move in future.
But could it work in a larger school district like Orchard Park?
“I don’t believe it would. Our school district has 5,400 students and the school districts that are in the area are just as large. By the time we consolidated and tried to trim places I don’t think it would be any savings at all,” said Orchard Park Board of Education President Donald Sniezak.
“If we could allow the already regionalized mechanism called BOCES or another method to do school services on the back end, then we could achieve the efficiencies regardless of whether you’re a small district or large,” said UB Regional Institute’s Kate Foster, Ph.D.
Researchers say families looking to relocate often place more emphasis on the school district than the town.
Some school officials say saving money isn’t worth the price of restructuring administrations, busing students or jeopardizing class sizes.