State may pressure school districts to merge

State education officials are mulling a plan that would penalize school districts on Long Island and elsewhere that balk at consolidating with neighboring systems, even when evidence shows such mergers could save money.

In a unanimous vote Monday, a state Board of Regents committee approved the concept of a commission that would identify clusters of school districts deemed ripe for consolidation. The plan - part of a broader statewide financial-aid proposal - is expected to win backing from the full Regents board Tuesday.

One idea under consideration would withdraw part of the state's cash assistance from targeted districts that refuse to consolidate. While many school leaders until recently have ignored pressures to merge, some analysts say that a growing economic crunch could force localities to reconsider.

The Regents' proposal notes, for example, that more than $1.3 billion in federal school aid to the state is scheduled to dry up at the end of this school year.

"At a time when there aren't many ways to save big bucks, consolidation is one of the ways that could save a lot of money quickly," said Lawrence Levy, executive director of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University.

Still, resistance remains strong. On the Island's South Fork, five small elementary districts that now pay to send their teenage students to East Hampton High School reject any thought of merging with the larger East Hampton system, despite state suggestions that this might help settle a bitter dispute over tuition rates.

"People don't like the idea of being mixed with another community where we lose independence," said Michael Hartner, school superintendent in Springs, one of the districts disputing East Hampton's tuition rates.

Another objection to the Regents plan is that school mergers don't necessarily save money, at least in the short run. When two districts join, the consolidated system normally adopts salary schedules used by the higher-paying district - a process known as "leveling up."

Even with that in mind, supporters of consolidation say there are other reasons why mergers make sense. For example, supporters say, mergers may allow small school districts to achieve economies of scale and maintain student services that they would otherwise have to give up, due to cost-cutting pressures.

"It's not fair to kids, when some districts have great programs and others don't," said Roger Tilles of Great Neck, the Island's representative to the Regents board.

The commission envisioned by the Regents would revise a 1958 master plan that targeted about 1,000 districts statewide for consolidation. While many Island districts did merge in the 1950s and '60s, only a handful have joined in recent years - most notably, Eastport and South Manor in 2003.

Mark Nocero, the superintendent in Eastport-South Manor, notes that his consolidated district is still building new classrooms at a time when some other districts are considering school closures.

"It's all positive," Nocero said.

While details of the Regents plan remain to be settled, any financial penalties for districts would almost certainly have to be approved by the governor and state lawmakers. A spokesman for Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo did not return a call for comment.

With Denise M. Bonilla