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HCS Board Votes to Begin Merger with MECS

Tue, Feb 01, 2011

The process that could eventually lead to combining HCS with Morrisville-Eaton Central Schools into one district got started this morning.

Meeting in a special session, the HCS Board of Education voted to pursue consolidation with MECS, which is expected to vote likewise later this week . The two districts will then seek a state grant to pay for most of the cost of a study of a possible merger of the two districts.

The board has discussed the possible merger in previous meetings.

HCS Superintendent Dr. Diana Bowers said the study, which could begin in June, begins the multi-step process that could lead to combining the two districts. She said citizen committees would be formed to study a variety of topics and the results would be shared with the public and the state Education Department. 

Then, if the state signs off on the merger, residents in both districts would have to each vote twice to approve it. Bowers said the earliest the two schools could become one is July 2013.

The vote came just hours before Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivered his first budget address, which aimed the sharpest edge of the budget axe at schools. In his address, Cuomo said many superintendents make more than he does and suggested they and teachers agree to have their pays frozen. He also said small schools need to consolidate, and he stumped for his property tax cap that already has passed the Senate and awaits action in the Assembly.

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Comments(1):

  1. confused by the process

    Sunday, February 13, 2011 Georgia

    Something seems awry here: why study *whether* to pursue consolidation AFTER one has apparently decided to "pursue" it? Please, RFH: inform us about the options. The public needs to feel that the process is transparent and that all options are given full consideration. The stakes are too high to rush into this. There is too much fear and too little information.