Elwood school district consolidation meeting

Elwood school officials, who asked surrounding districts last month about their interest in a merger, will meet with residents Thursday night to discuss the legal, financial and practical implications of consolidation.

Elwood spokesman Michael Conte said three panelists - a lawyer, an expert on state funding and another on school consolidation - will give brief remarks at the start of the meeting before taking questions.

The district hasn't lined up any official meetings with the school systems it's queried, but both Northport-East Northport and Half Hollow Hills have said they're open to learning more.

South Huntington school officials said Wednesday that they, too, would consider the idea.

If Elwood finds a partner, the districts would have to hire a firm to study their facilities, salary schedules, programming and tax bases to "paint a portrait of what a merged district would be," Conte said. Transportation, spending and state reimbursements will also play a role.

Detractors doubt the financial benefits of such a coupling in part because teachers who work for the lower-paying district will see their salaries adjusted upward.

But Lawrence C. Levy, head of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University, doesn't think the disparity is a problem because the pay difference is often small.

"There is no way that you would not get savings if you managed it well," he said.

If a merger is approved by voters, the state would provide the new district with an additional 40 percent of its 2006-2007 operating aid - based on numbers provided by both districts - for five years. After that, the aid would decrease by 4 percent each year until it hits zero.

The new district would also be eligible for an additional 30 percent building aid - up to 95 percent of the approved cost of a project - for construction within 10 years of the reorganization.

Levy said mergers can mean better programs and greater flexibility for participating schools, adding that consolidation can allow communities to help undo the segregation of poor and minority students.

Despite these benefits, there are often a number of obstacles to overcome, including perceived differences in the quality of both systems, he said.

Past mergers have failed for a variety of reasons, he said, including fears about how beloved programs - from Advanced Placement to separate football teams - would be funded.

"It ranges from deep educational concerns to the more frivolous," Levy said.

Racial and class differences can also play a role, he said.

And while the state has talked up consolidation, Levy said state regulations have made it more difficult by requiring a majority vote in both districts. State officials say this protects smaller districts from being overruled by voters in a larger community.

Peter Scordo, Elwood's superintendent, said the idea is in the earliest stages. "The Board of Education is simply researching the concept to decide whether it makes sense to even pursue a study of the matter," he said.

"This is a preliminary effort."