NY State Senate Bill 2015-S2621

Senate Bill S2621

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Directs the commissioner of education for the state of New York to revamp the structure of school districts statewide; and to repeal various provisions of the education law relating thereto

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 06, 2016	referred to education
Jan 26, 2015	referred to education

2015-S2621 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Rpld Title II Arts 33, 35, 37, 39, 51, 52 & 53, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2013-2014: S5226
2017-2018: S2345
2019-2020: S4438
2021-2022: S4756
2023-2024: S5752

2015-S2621 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the commissioner of education for the state of New York to revamp the structure of school districts statewide creating one school district per county; and to repeal various provisions of the education law relating thereto.

2015-S2621 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S2621

TITLE OF BILL:  An act directing the commissioner of education for the
state of New York to revamp the structure of school districts
statewide creating one school district per county; and to repeal
various provisions of the education law relating thereto

PURPOSE:

Directs the commissioner to establish and implement a new school
district system statewide that will consolidate school districts by
county to reduce waste, redundancy and costs.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISION:

Section 1: Sets forth the legislative finding and declaration

Section 2: The commissioner of the New York state department of
education shall establish and implement a new school district system
such that there are 62 school districts in New York state. School
districts located in a city with a population of one million or more
shall be exempt.

Section 3: Within 1 year of the effective date the commissioner shall
submit a report proposing implementing legislation to effect and fund
the consolidation of school districts.

Section 4: Repeals Article 33 of title II of the education law -
Common School districts.

Section 5: Repeals Article 35 of title II of the education law - Union
Free School Districts

Section 6: Repeals Article 37 of title II of the education law -
Central School Districts

Section 7: Repeals Article 39 of title II of the education law -
Central High School Districts

Section 8: Repeals Article 51 of title II of the education law - City
School Districts of Cities with less than 125,000 inhabitants

Section 9: Repeals Article 52 of title II of the education law - City
School Districts of Cities with 125,000 inhabitants or more

Section 10: Repeals Article 53 of title II of the education law -
School Elections in City School Districts of Cities with less than
125,000 Inhabitants.

Section 11: This Act shall take effect on the 365th day after it shall
have become a law

JUSTIFICATION:

New York's public schools are required to prepare all students to
successfully excel in today's global economy. Currently New York
spends more money per student than any other state in the nation but


ranks 39th in high school graduation rates. Ensuring that each school
district meets the needs of each and every student is a daunting task.
New York has struggled with the ongoing process of reorganizing our
school district system in a way that provides a solution to the
negative effects of declining school enrollment, broadens the scope of
program offerings, facilitates optimum class scheduling, increases
professional resources, and alleviates heavy tax burden. This bill
directs the commissioner of education to reorganize the school
districts in a manner that addresses the needs of each and every
student.

Small school districts, which are typically not wealthy have
difficulty providing the scope of educational programs and variety of
opportunities which are available in larger districts. If student
enrollment drops in these districts, the district is often forced to
choose between a reduction in programs offered or an increase in local
property taxes. Reorganizing these types of school districts into a
larger district will allow the school district to provide a broader
choice of subjects offered, reduce operational costs, increase the
probability that teachers will serve in their area of expertise and
allow for necessary upgrades to facilities. This in turn will result
in better educated students who can compete in the global economy.

Additionally, the reorganization of school districts will result in a
more cost-effective administrative organization and eliminate
redundancy in facilities, supplies, and equipment.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2013-14: S5226 - Referred to education

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Unknown

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect on the three hundred sixty-fifth day after
it shall have become law.

2015-S2621 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  2621

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            January 26, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Education

AN ACT directing the commissioner of education for the state of New York
  to revamp the structure of school  districts  statewide  creating  one
  school  district  per  county; and to repeal various provisions of the
  education law relating thereto

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.    Legislative  findings  and declaration. The legislature
hereby finds and declares that New York  state  spends  more  money  per
student  than  any  other state in the nation, but ranks thirty-ninth in
high school graduation rates. Only seventy-three percent of  New  York's
students  graduate  from  high  school and only thirty-seven percent are
college ready. The legislature finds that  New  York  students  are  not
adequately  prepared  to  compete in the global economy and that changes
must be made to the education system in order to reverse  these  statis-
tics and prepare students to compete in the global economy. The legisla-
ture  also  finds  and  declares that New York has struggled for several
decades with the ongoing process of  reorganizing  our  school  district
system  in  a  way  that  provides a solution to the negative effects of
declining school enrollment, broadens the scope  of  program  offerings,
facilitates  optimum class scheduling, increases professional resources,
and alleviates heavy tax burdens. The legislature therefore directs  the
commissioner of education to reorganize the school districts in a manner
that  adequately  addresses  the  shortcomings  of the current education
system and prepares each and every student to excel  in  today's  global
economy.
  S  2.  The  commissioner of the New York state department of education
shall establish and implement a new  school  district  system  statewide
consisting  of  one  school  district  per county in each of the state's
sixty-two counties.  The  resulting  sixty-two  school  districts  shall

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD06665-01-5

S. 2621                             2

service  only  the needs of students residing in such county.  Provided,
however, that any school district located in a city with a population of
one million or more shall be exempt from the provisions of this act.
  S 3. Within one year of the effective date of this act the commission-
er  of  the New York state department of education shall submit a report
proposing implementing legislation to effect and fund the  consolidation
of  school  districts  as  proposed  in  this  act. Such report shall be
provided to the governor, the speaker of  the  assembly,  the  temporary
president of the senate, the assembly minority leader, the senate minor-
ity  leader  and  the chairpersons and ranking members of the senate and
assembly committees on education.
  S 4. Article 33 of title II of the education law is REPEALED.
  S 5. Article 35 of title II of the education law is REPEALED.
  S 6. Article 37 of title II of the education law is REPEALED.
  S 7. Article 39 of title II of the education law is REPEALED.
  S 8. Article 51 of title II of the education law is REPEALED.
  S 9. Article 52 of title II of the education law is REPEALED.
  S 10. Article 53 of title II of the education law is REPEALED.
  S 11. This act shall take effect on the three hundred sixty-fifth  day
after it shall have become a law.

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