Final Report Pre-Merger Feasibility Study for the Fort Edward Union Free School District, Hudson Falls Central School District, and South Glens Falls Central School District July 2019 Deborah B. Ayers and Alan D. Pole Castallo & Silky, LLC-Education Consultants P.O. Box 15100 Syracuse, New York 13215 (315) 492-4474 www.castalloandsilky.com Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Table of Contents Chapter Page No. 1-Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..…………..……….3 2-Acknowledgements...……………………………………………………………………………....………..5 3- Possible School District Reorganization.………………………………………….……..……...….6 4-Background Information …………………………….………………………………….…..…………….8 5-Student Enrollments……………………………………………………………………………………….12 6-Academic and Interscholastic Athletic Program……………………………..…..……………18 7-Facilities.…………………………………..……………..…..………………………………..……..………..32 8-Transportation………………………………………………….…………………………..………..……..37 9-Staffing……………………….……………………….…………………………………….…….………...….39 10-Finances…………………………………….…..……………………………….….…….…………………48 11-Summary Considerations………………………………….……………….…..……………………..61 12-Tuitioning of Fort Edward Students in Grades 7-12………………………………………66 2 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Chapter 1 Introduction In today’s fiscal and educational environment, school districts all over New York State are wondering if they can continue to exist in their present form. Many are exploring various options to fundamentally change the way they are organized in an effort to continue providing their students a 21st century education at a cost that local taxpayers can bear. School district merger is one organizational option that is being considered. Fort Edward, Hudson Falls and South Glens Falls have chosen to consider this path. However, unlike many other school districts, these districts first chose to conduct this pre-merger feasibility study to determine if a more extensive merger investigation should be undertaken. This merger feasibility study examines the advantages and disadvantages of a potential merger. Castallo & Silky, LLC, an education consulting firm from Syracuse, New York, worked with the districts to complete this study. Based on its vast experience with school district reorganization, Castallo & Silky, LLC identified a list of indicators that characteristically predict the likelihood of a successful merger. This list of indicators was used to structure data gathering and analysis and serves as the foundation for the recommendations included in this study. The consultants began by requesting a significant amount of information from all three school districts. Once this information had been secured, conversations with key school district staff were held to review the information and to probe other critical areas of district operations. The consultants organized and analyzed the information resulting in this written report. A meeting with the consultants and the three superintendents to discuss the report and next steps was also held. It should be clear to the reader that this is a pre-merger feasibility study and not a formal merger study. This study was undertaken to determine if it might be advisable for the districts to consider entering into a formal merger study and, if so, what possible combinations of the districts might make the most sense. A formal merger study would involve staff/community committees from the respective districts and would examine 3 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study each of the topics discussed in this study in far greater detail. Also, the State Education Department and the District Superintendent would oversee a complete merger study. Subsequent to the completion of the merger study, the districts would decide whether or not to put the question of merger up for a community referendum. All three districts supported this pre-merger study as evidenced by the fact that the boards passed resolutions to engage in such a study. The purpose of this investigation is to determine if it is realistic to move forward with a complete merger study based on some critical information comparing the three districts and if so what combination of the districts might best be considered. The following pages present the information that was examined and will be used by the boards of education to decide whether a formal merger study in the future would be in the best interest of any of these three school districts. This merger feasibility study examined the possible combinatio ns o f the three study districts to help them decide if the districts should move forward to a full merger study process. 4 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Chapter 2 Acknowledgements A study of this magnitude could not be accomplished without the assistance of many individuals. We wish to thank the following people who generously provided assistance as we went about our work. First and foremost, we wish to thank the superintendents of the three study districts; Dan Ward of Fort Edward, Linda Goewey of Hudson Falls, and Kristine Orr of South Glens Falls. These superintendents not only provided access to district records and staff so that we might have a complete data set to make our recommendations, but even more importantly, they provided courageous leadership by even initiating this investigation. Merely mentioning the “M” (merger) word evokes a great deal of emotion in local communities. Despite this, these school leaders recognized that, for their districts to continue delivering a quality education, bold action needed to be taken—and they have done so. Business staff in the three districts were also most helpful in providing information about employees. Our thanks go out to Michelle Sherwood and Michelle Taylor in Fort Edward, Jamie Monroe in Hudson Falls, and Audrey Varney in South Glens Falls. We would also like to recognize the boards of education from Fort Edward, Hudson Falls, and South Glens Falls for their leadership and foresight to provide the best possible education for their children within the financial realities of their communities. These boards are asking difficult but important questions about the future of their school districts and communities and they should be applauded for their efforts. 5 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Chapter 3 Possible School District Reorganization School districts that wish to entertain a possible merger in New York State can only pursue other districts that are contiguous or share their borders. Fort Edward and Hudson Falls are located primarily in Washington County; South Glens Falls is located primarily in Saratoga County. Looking at the geographic boundaries of the three districts and the wishes of the participating boards of education, two possible merger combinations are included in this study: A. Fort Edward/Hudson Falls B. Fort Edward/South Glens Falls The body of this report is organized around the indicators that mark a successful merger of school districts. Within the discussion of these indicators, both possible combinations of the school districts will be addressed. Once all the indicators have been evaluated, an assessment is made regarding the overall likelihood that the particular combination of districts is worthy of a full merger study from an objective data perspective. The two most common forms of school district reorganization in New York State are centralization and annexation. For purposes of this study, the districts have asked for annexation to be studied. In an annexation, a new district is not created; rather, the district to be annexed is dissolved and becomes part of the annexing district. This study will examine the annexation of Fort Edward by Hudson Falls and the annexation of Fort Edward by South Glens Falls. When the term “merger” is used throughout this report, it will refer to a merger by annexation. In an annexation, the annexing district assumes all property rights of the district annexed, as well as any debt incurred through bonds or notes. The teaching personnel in the district that is annexed have the right to employment in the annexing district if a vacancy exists within their tenure area. Teachers from the annexed district do not, however, have "bumping" rights. If a vacancy is not available within a teacher’s tenure area, the teacher is placed on a preferred eligible list for a period of seven years. Once 6 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study employed, for salary, sick leave and any other purposes, the length of service credited in the annexed district shall be credited as employment time with the annexing district. The superintendent of a district that is annexed would not have rights to the superintendency of the annexing district. The board of education of the annexing district continues responsibility for the administration of the district. However, for purposes of voting on matters related to the operation of the reorganized district, the qualified voters of the annexed district become qualified voters in the annexing district. The two districts involved may agree on a set of non-binding assurances that would provide direction for the new district. In addition to the study of a possible merger, Fort Edward and Hudson Falls have asked for a very preliminary analysis of tuitioning. In this case, Fort Edward would close its junior-senior high school, send its students in grades 7-12 to Hudson Falls, and pay tuition to Hudson Falls to educate the Fort Edward students in these grades. Again, this is not a full tuitioning study but a preliminary look at the concept to determine if it deserves further investigation by the two districts. The discussion of tuitioning can be found in Chapter 12 of this report. 7 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Chapter 4 Background Information The Fort Edward, Hudson Falls, and South Glens Falls school districts are all located in the Saratoga region of New York State. Fort Edward and Hudson Falls are located in Washington County while South Glens Falls is in Saratoga County. All three districts are component districts of the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex (WSWHE) BOCES. These school districts are very prominent institutions in their respective communities. eth St Elizab Poplar St Ave Baker St Allen St Wilber St Kelly Ave 3rd Ave Map of Rd Fort Edward CSD Ln Thoma Parry St der Tow Leavy Hollow Delaware Fee St Hudson Falls 4th Ave Oak St Rd Wright St bird Pender John St ue Bl s Ave Lower Wright Hunt Ave Lower Elizabeth St St Lower Oak St Olive St Gibson Ave Denni 533001 s Ave Schuyler St Perkins Dr Railroad Lower Allen St County Rte 99 Dr Gates Ave Smith St School Districts Burgoy ne Ave Caputo Ave Orsola Ave Wolf St Park Ave Lott St County St Sullivan Pkwy Juliet Charles May St Hudso n St Electric Dr St OBrien Putnam St Ave Campb Corporate Pl ell Dr City/Town Farnan Rd St Ethan Allen y Dr Anthon Stevens Ln Hillview Bascom Ave Dr Harrison St Griffin Ave Sunset Ln Elder t St W Summi Tow St Cooper le St Map Case St Factory Underwoo Culver e Pl Terrac er at W Fort Edward Riv ers s Ed Major Roads Local Roads St Miles St Taylor St 0 FORT EDWARD St C an Notre Dame St St St New York State Office of Real Property Tax Services Map Requests Unit April 22, 2019 NYS ORPTS Map Requests Unit WA Harriman State Campus Albany, NY 12227 St Dr Mo St Killian Ln om St ntg Old Fort ery Ave St State nd Isla Rogers Speakman St Edward St D C DISCLAIMER This map was created using data obtained from various sources. Ths information provided on this map is for reference purposes only. The scale, accuracy, and completeness of the data are not guaranteed. 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rsid n Rd s Pl Ma Rd Hicks Sar Ame Ave Silver Cir ga St Nathan South Ave Main St Ea r Ave 4 D C ood Rd 534401 £ ¤ Kin gs 254 Everts Ave ill Ln es Rd Harris St Rd Rd Pinewood Ln Stephanie Pinello oo Ct Ogden Essex Br Sherman Foothills Rd Goldfinc h Rd Quincy Ln acr Barbe Underw D C Halsey Pl DIX Ave ad Bro Sugar Bush East Dr Central Rd Corinth Rd M Dr Sanders Rd Rd Briwood Cir ne Ct Rd Duke Dr Hunter St Park Pl Pershing Rd Ln Dr Burnt Hills Rd Van Dusen Way ld Dr Hera Ln Linette Re ve re Cir Oak Tree Dr Arbutus tire Nicole Dr Pitcher Rd Lupine Laurel Ln Petrie Ln Burch Rd Luzerne Rd St Birch Ln Plz d Old Forge Rd Dr Collins Ave Homer n Rd Garriso rst Rd Fort Amhe Fire Rd Rd es nc La Howard St Leo St Dawn Rd Sherma n Ave Am y Ln y Dr Ol y Ann Ct Hampton Dr Ferris Lambert Dr Pegg Ct Finch Rd Pasco Ave ron Ln McEch Dr Algonquin Briggs Lafayette way rth F St Cronin Rd Westwood Dr No Bank St Ru dle Ln wbrook Sweet Rd e 36 O Casey Rd d Rd y Rd June Dr Helen Dr Burke Dr Willow Rd Dr Sycamore Sylvan Ave Pinion Pine Ln Upper Dr t Hill ernu Butt QUEENSBURY t Dr ntra Ln ood Ln Abb ey Di xo n Rd Zenas Dr Rockwe res Mo Crownw Mano r Dr tion Rd Coun ty Rout en Rd Way Cedar Ridge Kelly Way Meado nc Rd Weeks Pon nd Rd Havila Cmn N Wi Dr nd Dr d od Dr ewo Ln Edg Nova Oa oo kw Rd tley Ben Kee ch Ln Hiland Dr Masters d Ln rd Ln Tracy Rd Club Country in View Mounta Ln Haven Potter Rd Bay Rd s Rd Dr de oo Rd Beekman Pl Crawfo Howe Dr N Park Rd Surrey Field Dr Cedar Ct ni an M Ln gs Fla Hid rm Penbrook Rd Avia Berry Dr ll Rd Rd Dr Rest Never Six Rou Tw icw nfa Stonegate Dr Plantation Rd h Dr Bonner Dr wood Crest Ha Rd Dr Birch As Rd Sarah Jen Dr Kiley Ln er e Te rb Ba Pl Dr Rd Elm n Pl liva Northwood y Ln Glen Lake y Ja Sul rne Gu Gurney Ln ll Rd Hi 149 gs Kin D C Rd Equinox Rd Hopk ins Rd Rd ide East urst Dr Stoneh Rd is e Te w Le Sunnys ide Rd Warr Mattison Rd Jenkinsville rve 9L Sunnys Buck Bee Rd nt y Rd Mill Rd Prese Park ndack Adiro Cir D C Map of Hudson Falls CSD rs Rd in Corne Baldw Rd Ln ist Burqu Mud Pond Rd Rd n nce Ln Way ill M rth Lee rto Lawre Rocky C y Ln Rd ne ent wo Rd No FORT ANN Rd T Owens Rd QUEENSBURY Eldridge Rd Pine Hill Bloody Pond Rd m Ells Goggins 87 Ln le rth Rd k Ln tier C Ellswo kins Jen § ¦ ¨ W Starbuc Car ilk Falls Rd Wildwood Pl Trl Sunset ents Rd 9N Ameth yst Dr Rd Joe Green Butterm Boulderwood Dr Clem D C LAKE GEORGE Fort Ann Rd Pickle Hill y Dr 9L Ca mp Robin Ln lle D C y Rd Fish Hatcher O ld M ilit ar y Rd Hadlock Pond nto n Rd n Va Su Sta Birch Ave ut Brayton Rd e 17 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study 9 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Some aspects of the three districts are similar yet there are significant differences in other demographic areas. This is shown in the background information in table 4.1 that follows. Table 4.1 Background on the Districts District Characteristic Fort Edward Hudson Falls Superintendent 2017-18 Enrollment Square Miles in District BOCES Affiliation Transportation Aid Ratio Building Aid Ratio (including High Need Supplemental & 10% Incentive) BOCES Aid Ratio Combined Wealth Ratio Full Value Tax Rate: 2018-19 Grade Level Configuration Eligible for Free Lunch* Eligible for Reduced Price Lunch* White* Black or African American Hispanic or Latino* Asian/Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander* American Indian or Alaska Native Multi Racial* Annual Attendance Rate* Student Suspensions* Dan Ward 496 3 WSWHE .900 Linda Goewey 2,278 53 WSWHE .900 South Glens Falls Kristine Orr 3,105 66 WSWHE .697 .870 .848 .795 .718 .503 $21.84 Pre-K-12 50% 2% 89% 1% 4% .745 .485 $13.03 Pre-K-12 47% 5% 90% 1% 4% .621 .700 $15.51 K-12 30% 3% 92% 1% 4% - 1% 1% 5% 96% 9% 5% 94% 6% 3% 96% 3% * Indicates data was drawn from 2016-17 and 2017-18 school report cards Table 4.1 shows that these districts have a similar student demographic. Fort Edward is smaller in both geographic size and student enrollment than Hudson Falls and South Glens Falls. Fort Edward and Hudson Falls have similar district wealth based on combined wealth ratio and student eligibility for free and reduced lunches. South Glens Falls is wealthier than either Fort Edward or Hudson Falls resulting in lower state aid ratios than the aforementioned districts. Hudson Falls and South Glens Falls have true 10 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study value tax rates that are more similar while the 2018-19 tax rate on true value for Fort Edward is significantly higher than either of the other two districts. 11 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Chapter 5 Student Enrollments This section of the report provides a picture of the current status of the three districts’ student enrollments as well as an overview of the population trends in the area. Accurate enrollment projections are essential data for district long-range planning. Virtually all aspects of a district’s operation (educational program, staffing, facilities, transportation, finances, etc.) are dependent on the number of students enrolled. For this reason, updated enrollment projections using the cohort survival methodology are crucial for this study and serve as the launching pad for our analysis. Table 5.1 Fort Edward Enrollment History and Projections 6-8 Total 2013 -14 49 55 42 45 43 45 37 41 33 35 48 35 31 21 511 55 130 82 308 109 2014 -15 45 46 56 43 43 37 45 42 44 30 44 38 37 32 537 46 142 82 312 116 2015 -16 40 38 43 49 37 42 34 37 40 40 31 35 36 32 494 38 129 76 280 117 2016 -17 51 32 43 37 46 37 41 34 34 42 42 28 37 30 483 32 126 78 270 110 2017 -18 38 44 32 37 43 47 34 41 34 32 40 33 27 35 479 44 112 81 278 107 2018 -19 41 42 40 29 33 38 43 25 35 29 35 34 34 26 443 42 102 81 250 89 2019 -20 53 40 36 28 31 36 40 24 33 31 29 34 32 24 418 40 95 76 117 57 2020 -21 25 51 36 35 26 30 34 39 22 35 26 29 32 29 425 51 97 63 126 48 2021 -22 40 24 47 35 33 25 28 32 36 24 29 26 27 30 396 24 114 53 127 47 2022 -23 39 39 22 45 33 31 23 27 30 39 20 29 24 25 387 39 199 55 128 51 2023 -24 39 38 35 21 42 31 29 23 25 33 32 20 27 22 379 38 99 60 130 53 2024 -25 39 38 35 34 20 40 29 28 21 27 27 32 19 25 375 38 88 69 132 53 7-12 Total 203 225 214 213 201 193 183 174 172 168 159 151 Grade Birth Data K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Total K-12 K Total 1-3 Total 4-5 Total K-5 Total 2025 -26 39 38 35 33 32 19 38 28 26 23 22 27 30 17 368 38 100 57 134 51 146 9-12 Total 135 151 134 137 135 129 70 70 72 70 71 65 65 NOTE: 2022-23 through 2025-26 birth data are an average of the previous five years data as these children are either not born yet or the data are not yet available. Table does not included students in ungraded classrooms. 12 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Examining Table 5.1, it is apparent that Fort Edward’s K-12 enrollment has dropped over the past six years from 511 students in 2013-14 to this year’s enrollment of 443, a decrease of 68 students or 13.3%. Looking to the future, the K-12 enrollment appears to continue to decline to an estimated 368 K-12 students in 2025-26. Table 5.2 Hudson Falls Enrollment History and Projections Grade Birth Data K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 201314 201415 201516 201617 201718 201819 201920 202021 202122 202223 202324 202425 202526 202 183 189 177 190 187 169 160 159 173 173 173 173 191 185 205 178 185 164 166 191 172 184 159 144 163 190 184 179 196 162 177 163 165 186 184 154 146 134 191 190 179 173 184 173 179 159 155 199 165 135 150 163 181 184 167 168 192 161 179 151 177 161 154 131 178 179 175 176 158 173 182 167 180 180 159 156 146 169 172 182 171 180 155 183 181 176 211 163 137 164 180 168 174 164 183 153 183 178 199 183 149 135 162 163 177 161 167 166 181 153 180 201 173 167 146 133 154 160 169 154 170 164 181 151 203 175 158 165 144 153 151 153 162 157 168 164 178 170 177 159 155 162 167 150 145 146 164 155 168 162 201 148 161 157 153 167 163 144 139 149 163 155 165 183 175 135 159 155 167 163 156 138 141 147 163 153 186 159 159 133 157 Total 2287 2220 2232 2169 2209 2244 2211 2169 2148 2110 2077 2050 2021 K-12 K 169 180 163 154 153 167 167 167 191 190 191 163 178 Total 1-3 525 506 505 483 466 441 446 457 568 559 542 532 530 Total 4-5 349 339 357 360 331 335 336 347 334 324 319 311 288 Total 6-8 529 514 493 491 529 540 560 535 535 513 530 503 502 Total 9-12 650 618 649 623 641 675 629 620 642 654 620 624 608 Total NOTE: 2022-23 through 2025-26 birth data are an average of the previous five years data as these children are either not born yet or the data are not yet available. Table does not included students in ungraded classrooms. Table 5.2 illustrates the enrollment history and projections for Hudson Falls. Hudson Falls has seen a fairly stable enrollment over the past six years. The K-12 13 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study student body totaled 2,287 in 2013-14 and this current year is at 2,244, a decrease of 43 students or 1.9%. Looking to 2025-26, the enrollment decline is projected to continue at an even greater rate. It is estimated that the 2025-26 K-12 enrollment will be approximately 2,021 students. Table 5.3 South Glens Falls Enrollment History and Projections Grade Birth Data K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 201314 201415 201516 201617 201718 201819 201920 202021 202122 202223 202324 202425 202526 221 221 188 197 186 211 206 187 189 196 196 196 196 265 264 232 199 233 236 234 226 248 260 251 217 252 266 252 257 234 195 241 243 228 230 277 252 254 203 231 248 255 248 239 202 242 251 232 246 245 246 251 245 229 250 248 240 239 202 242 253 237 231 234 241 237 215 231 246 255 240 243 199 247 254 235 210 234 208 238 214 239 234 265 237 249 194 257 244 240 217 247 238 212 237 239 267 238 251 204 244 238 237 214 241 247 236 210 242 241 268 240 264 193 238 235 234 219 241 245 234 215 244 242 270 252 250 189 235 232 221 219 239 243 239 217 244 244 284 239 244 186 232 229 221 217 237 248 241 217 246 256 269 233 241 184 229 229 220 215 242 250 242 219 259 243 262 230 238 229 229 227 217 220 244 251 243 230 246 237 259 227 Total 3117 3132 3136 3091 3046 3036 3065 3088 3066 3049 3039 3076 3059 K-12 K-5 1429 1445 1423 1451 1424 1398 1440 1417 1397 1377 1393 1384 1366 Total 6-8 693 771 764 772 720 719 724 708 701 725 697 689 680 Total 9-12 933 900 905 901 927 973 968 980 986 988 943 933 958 Total NOTE: 2022-23 through 2025-26 birth data are an average of the previous five years data as these children are either not born yet or the data are not yet available. Table does not included students in ungraded classrooms. The enrollment for South Glens Falls has declined over the past six years. In 2013-14, the K-12 student enrollment was 3,117 while this current year, there are 3,036 students in K-12, a decrease of 81 students or 2.6%. However, the projection data for future years indicates that this trend will reverse and the district’s enrollment will increase slightly over 2018-19 levels. The projected K-12 enrollment for 2025-26 is 3,059 which represents an increase of 23 students, or 0.8%, over current enrollment although still less than the 2013-14 enrollment. 14 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Fort Edward and Hudson Falls are located in Washington County. Based on census data, the population of Washington County was increasing until 2010 but projection data indicates a slight but steady decline through 2040. This graph supports the likely continued decline in enrollment in Fort Edward and Hudson Falls documented in Tables 5.1 and 5.2. 70,000 Washington County Population Trends and Projections 59,330 60,000 52,938 50,000 61,042 63,216 61,455 60,237 59,196 54,795 48,476 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 - 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 Source: Cornell University Program for Applied Demographics South Glens Falls is located in Saratoga County. The population graph for Saratoga County illustrates a trend different from most counties in upstate New York. The graph shows a significant increase in population from 1960 to 2010 with a projection for continued population growth through 2040. The student enrollment in South Glens Falls is projected to increase slightly from its current level over the next seven years. Based on the population projection data for Saratoga County, there is reason to believe the enrollment may increase even more than the current formula projects. 15 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Saratoga County Population Trends and Projections 300,000 250,000 234,009 246,743 252,521 219,607 200,635 200,000 181,276 153,759 150,000 100,000 123,251 89,096 50,000 - 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 Source: Cornell University Program for Applied Demographics The next section of this report looks at the student populations that would result if the districts were to merge. Table 5.5 that follows shows the student population that would result from a merger of the Fort Edward Union Free School District and the Hudson Falls Central School Districts. This combination of districts would yield a student body of approximately 2,594 students in 2020-21, a figure that is projected to decline over the following five years to an estimated enrollment of 2,389 in 2025-26. Table 5.5 Projected Enrollments of Merged Fort Edward and Hudson Falls District District Fort Edward Hudson Falls Total 201819 443 2244 2687 201920 418 2211 2629 202021 425 2169 2594 202122 396 2148 2544 202223 387 2110 2497 202324 379 2077 2456 202425 375 2050 2425 202526 368 2021 2389 Table 5.6 that follows illustrates the student population that would result from a merger of the Fort Edward Union Free School District and the South Glens Falls Central School District. This merged district would have a student population of approximately 16 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study 3,513 students in 2020-21, declining slightly over the next five years to an estimated enrollment of 3,427 students in 2025-26. Table 5.6 Projected Enrollments of Merged Fort Edward and South Glens Falls District 201819 443 3036 3479 District Fort Edward South Glens Falls Total 201920 418 3065 3483 202021 425 3088 3513 202122 396 3066 3462 202223 387 3049 3436 202324 379 3039 3418 202425 375 3076 3451 202526 368 3059 3427 In order to provide a perspective on the size of these merged districts, the following school districts in the Capital/Saratoga Region of New York State have approximately the same number of students as the various combinations under consideration. Based on 2018-19 enrollments, combinations would result in total enrollments of: o Fort Edward & Hudson Falls = 2,687 students o Fort Edward & South Glens Falls = 3,479 students The following Capital/Saratoga Region districts have a similar number of students: • Averill Park - 2,649 • Ballston Spa – 4,082 • Burnt Hills - 3,059 • East Greenbush - 4,079 • Mohonasen - 2,790 • Niskayuna - 4,246 • Queensbury - 3,197 • Saratoga - 6,379 • Scotia Glenville - 2,438 • Troy - 4,302 17 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Chapter 6 Academic and Interscholastic Athletic Program It is important for any school board that is considering a possible merger discussion to do so with the primary intent of sustaining and hopefully enriching the educational program for the young people of the community. In all merger discussions, it is essential to discover what each of the districts brings to the curricular offerings of the other. The districts have chosen to organize their grades in different manners. Table 6.1 that follows shows the organizational pattern of the three study districts. Level Elementary School Middle School High School Table 6.1 2018-19 Grade Organizational Structure Fort Edward Hudson Falls South Glens Falls • Pre-K & K Pre-K-5 K-5 (4) • 1-3 • 4-5 6-12 6-8 6-8 9-12 9-12 Looking at table 6.1 above, Fort Edward has a single elementary school while South Glens Falls has four neighborhood elementary schools. Hudson Falls has adopted the “Princeton Plan” and has “stacked” their elementary grades so the schools are organized by grades rather than by neighborhoods. Fort Edward has a single building for its 6-12 middle/high school while Hudson Falls and South Glens Falls both have separate buildings for their middle schools and their high schools. Looking first at the elementary school program, Fort Edward and Hudson Falls both provide a Pre-Kindergarten program; South Glens Falls has a Pre-Kindergarten program that is run by a private agency in the community and serves approximately 108 students. Table 6.2 that follows shows the number and size of elementary grade sections that are offered in the 2018-19 school year. 18 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Grade Pre-K (1/2 day) Kindergarten 1 2 3 4 5 TOTAL K-5 Table 6.2 Elementary School Section Sizes-2018-19 Fort Edward Hudson Falls South Glens Falls 15, 14, 14, 14, 10, 15, 15 11, 12, 11 17, 17, 19, 18, 18, 18, 17, 18, 20, 21, 17, 17, 20, 18 18, 19, 19, 16 19, 19, 19, 17 19, 19, 17, 20, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 23, 23, 24, 19, 16, 4 17, 14, 19, 19 22, 18, 19, 18, 17 20, 17, 20, 20, 20, 21, 22, 22, 15, 16, 21, 19, 15, 11, 1 17, 20, 20, 20 14, 17, 15, 16 21, 21, 19, 21, 18, 19, 20, 18, 20, 23, 21, 22, 13, 17 21, 21, 20 20, 20, 20, 20 22, 20, 20, 22, 22, 18, 17, 18, 18, 16, 16, 16, 20, 18 21, 24, 23 20, 22, 17, 16, 18, 17 20, 19, 19, 18, 20, 22, 21, 22, 21, 22, 21, 21, 21, 18 19, 19, 19 21, 20, 20, 21, 21 211 985 1,337 NOTE: Number of students in this table may vary from the enrollment projection tables due to varying times when the data were drawn. All three districts have language in their collective bargaining agreements regarding class size. This language deals with “normal limits,” the “intention of the Board,” and provides situations where the stated class size limits can be exceeded. All of the class size guidelines that are contained in the collective bargaining agreements are above the current class sizes. It appears that, should a merger of Fort Edward with either Hudson Falls or South Glens Falls occur, elementary, middle, and high school program could be developed without constraints from class size language. While understanding that the elementary school section size is important, school districts that merge often choose to leave the elementary schools where they are located at the time of the merger. This provides a school presence in each of the communities and allows the youngest students to have the shortest bus rides from home to school and back. For purposes of this merger feasibility study only, it will be assumed that the Fort Edward Elementary School will remain open regardless of the annexing district. Middle school is a time for student exploration. Middle school students follow a program that is highly prescribed by the State Education Department. This program exposes students to a variety of courses in order to gauge student interest prior to entering 19 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study high school. Because the state regulates the middle school program so heavily, the offerings of the three districts are quite similar. For this study, we have summarized high school course offerings that each of the school districts would bring to a newly formed district. The following table 6.3 summarizes these offerings. Table 6.3 High School (9-12) Course Offerings-2018-19 (Does Not Include Resource Room, Self Contained Special Education, BOCES, or Study Halls) *Indicates a Science/Math Class with a Corresponding Lab; DL=Distance Learning Course Fort Edward Hudson Falls South Glens Falls ENGLISH 21, 13 9, 27, 21, 22, 24, 24, 23, 15, 19, English 9 28, 25, 5, 20 24, 24, 23, 10 English 9 Honors 20, 16 20, 16, 20 16, 17 17, 21, 22, 24, 24, 25, 21, 19, English 10 20, 17 19, 25, 6 English 10 Honors 26, 14 20, 22, 18, 18 16, 13 20, 19, 21, 25, 24, 23, 25, 19, English 11 26, 23, 27 20, 1, 12 English 11 Honors 15 English 12 7, 11 21, 24, 13 2 English 12 AP 2 English 12-Power of Speech 12 English 12-Film as Literature 25, 12, 20, 24 English 12-Mythology 19, 24, 18 English 12-Creative Writing 25, 15 English 12-Saratoga Literature 22, 17 Humanities 19 Fiction 19 AP English Language & Composition 22, 15, 23, 20 AP English Lit & Composition 19, 8 College English 101 14, 19 College English 102 17, 14 Public Speaking 7 Creative Writing 7 Introduction to College Writing 2 24, 15, 8 Writing In & About Literature 2 24, 13 Sports & Society 24 Regents Prep English 2 SAT Prep-Math & English 18, 15 English 11/12 AIS 3, 1 20 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Global History 9 Global History 9 Honors Global History 10 Global History 10 AP Global History AIS SOCIAL STUDIES 20, 11 12, 30, 28, 13, 21, 6, 16, 21 14, 16 19, 17 20, 24, 19, 24, 27, 5 19 US History & Government AP US History College American History Honors US History AIS Participation in Government-1/2 year Economics-1/2 year AP Government & Politics AP European History Honors Economics Psychology Child Psychology AP Psychology College Psychology 101 College Psychology 2222 Principles of Sociology Criminology World War 2 Green Economics & Public Policy History of Fort Edward Sports in History Sports Marketing/Management Legal/Ethical Environm’t of Business Ethics & Social Responsibility Regents Prep History College Forum Algebra Algebra with Lab* Algebra A-1 Algebra A-2 Financial Algebra Algebra 2 A 20, 11 15, 23, 25, 17, 15, 27 1 26, 27, 27, 18, 24, 17, 24 23, 27, 21 27, 27, 27, 27, 26, 27, 27, 27 3, 7 14, 18, 15, 26, 14, 27, 27, 26 18, 17, 19 1, 17 15, 11 15, 11 28, 26, 11, 30, 25, 27 29, 25, 26, 29, 29, 10 4 2 27, 25, 17, 21, 22, 24, 22 27, 25, 17, 21, 22, 24, 22 13, 27 8, 8 13, 27 26, 23 27, 27 26, 27 12 15 9, 2 9 15 1 14 5 10 1 12 10 2 MATH 9, 6 19 17 20, 14, 16, 14, 16 7, 23, 24, 23 13, 10, 28, 18 20, 19, 23, 21 15, 18, 27 26, 22 11, 8 25 23, 29, 28 21 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Algebra 2 B Algebra 2 Honors Foundations in Algebra 2/Trig Algebra 2/Trig Algebra 2/Trig with Lab* Advanced Algebra & Trigonometry Foundations in Geometry Geometry Geometry Honors Geometry with Lab* Consumer Math Personal Finance Topics in Math Math AIS Foundations in Pre-Calculus Pre-Calculus Calculus SUNY Adirondack-Calculus 1 SUNY Adirondack-Calculus 2 MST Technology Integration Computer Science 1 Computer Science 2 AP Computer Science Introduction to Statistics Math & Financial Applications College Prep Algebra College Math 121 College Math 125 11, 20 18 14 23, 9 11, 11 18, 13, 18 23 8 6 13, 6 23 18, 19 20, 14 27, 26, 18, 16 18, 19, 20 20, 26, 21, 18, 19 25, 27 16, 19 1 20, 27, 27, 26 15 11, 8 20 27, 27, 16, 13 15, 13 15, 12 27, 26, 18, 16 5 4 6 7 10 10 18 13 13 SCIENCE Science Research 1 Science Research 2 Science Research 3 Science Skills 17, 16 Earth Science* 12, 11, 13 Living Environment/Biology* Advanced Biology Honors AP Biology* Chemistry* MST Chemistry* General Chemistry Foundations in Chemistry SUPA Forensic Chemistry 11 5 4 4, 1 11, 11 16, 26, 15, 24, 25, 24, 29 16, 30, 26, 30, 25, 24, 20, 8 15 14, 27, 17 30 26, 22, 25, 16, 22, 26, 23, 17, 17, 21, 19 25, 27, 21, 23, 27, 28 13, 20, 14 25, 27, 23, 26 27, 26, 18, 16 15, 11 20 23 22 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Physics* 7, 27 General Physics 4 27, 26 AP Physics* General Science Astronomy-DL 20 Modern Cosmology-DL Practical Forensics Environmental Science 10, 20 Marine Science-DL Survival Science Meteorology-DL Green Economics/Public Policy-DL Regents Prep Science 10, 11 Science AIS LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH French 2 23, 10 French 3 19 French 4 9 French 5 10 Spanish 1 14 22 Spanish 1 A 20 22, 22, 20, Spanish 2 28 Spanish 3 16 11, 20, 25 Spanish 4 16 Spanish 5 11 English As A Second Language 3 TECHNOLOGY Architecture 21 Production Systems 22 Manufacturing Systems 17 Design & Drawing for Production 13 Design & Drawing for Production 1 23 Design & Drawing for Production 2 25 Power Mechanics 17 Computer Integrated Manufacturing 7, 9 Introduction to Nanotechnology 1 Project Lead the Way 17, 24, 18 PLTW-Introduction to Engineering PLTW-Principles of Engineering PLTW-Computer Science PLTW-Civil Engineering PLTW-Engineering Design PLTW-Digital Electronics PLTW-Computer Integrated Manufacturing 5 11 3 5 20, 25, 25 1 8, 6 26, 18 2 2 10 25, 15, 19, 17 24, 24 17 15 15 26, 24, 20, 21, 19 22, 14, 15, 23, 12 17, 13, 15 18 2, 1 26, 16, 20, 21, 23 24 16, 13 11, 17 10 14 19 23 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Biotechnology Innovation Zone Readiness Photovoltaic Theory & Design 16 14 2 1 BUSINESS Business Math Employability Skills Accounting SUNY- Principles of Marketing Sports & Entertainment Marketing Business & Personal Law SUNY-Principles of Management Business Computer Applications Business Ownership P-Tech 21st Century Skills 17 14 16 8 11, 20 19, 14, 13 9 18, 5, 14 24 8 ART Printmaking Studio in Art Portfolio Ceramics I Ceramics II Ceramics Advanced Ceramics 3-D Portfolio in Ceramics Painting I Advanced Painting Drawing I Advanced Drawing Studio Drawing & Painting Photography 1 Photography 2 AP Art New Media Advanced Art Exploration of Art Watercolor Independent Study 9 11 2, 2 5 2 18 27, 27 21, 15 8, 4 1 10, 4 17, 13, 16, 16, 16 11, 11 11, 11 5 16 19, 18, 20, 17 22, 21 14 21 15 3, 12, 8 12 17 28, 27 20 1, 2, 2 24 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study MUSIC Music In Our Lives 9 Junior Band 24 High School Band 25 22, 3 Concert Band Music Theory Music Appreciation 18 Junior Chorus 26, 18 High School Chorus/Choir 29 91 Vocal Point Choir/Band 20, 20 Choir/Orchestra 27, 27 Chamber Orchestra Junior Band 7 Jazz Band Broadway Performances Orchestra 17 Ghost Orchestra History of Rock FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCE Food & Nutrition 9 Independent Living 18 Creative Cooking 20 Gourmet Foods 6 HEALTH/PHYSICAL EDUCATION 8, 23 30, 31, 14, Health 18, 24 Adaptive Physical Education 15, 17, 18, 22, 23, 25 Physical Education Independent Study-PE Adventure & Outdoor Skills Peak Performance 28, 49, 22, 47, 37, 21, 43, 28, 72, 43, 38, 63, 51, 49, 38, 46 42 7 63, 73 15 20 12 13, 7 63 6 14, 6 25, 24, 22, 23, 26, 24, 26, 26, 21, 25, 24 6 1, 1, 26, 23, 22, 26, 16, 26, 27, 26, 26, 23, 20, 27, 24, 19, 26, 24, 27, 25, 27, 26, 23, 23, 21, 24, 22, 19, 26, 25, 25, 25, 30, 26, 25, 26, 20 6 16, 15 27, 26 Information in the previous table 6.3 clearly demonstrates that, while each district offers a basic high school academic program, Hudson Falls and South Glens Falls offer significantly more course options for their students than does Fort Edward. This does not 25 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study mean that Fort Edward is doing anything wrong. Research on high school offerings consistently shows that larger high schools have the ability to offer more opportunities for their students than do smaller high schools. In this study, Hudson Falls and South Glens Falls are significantly larger than Fort Edward so it would be expected that the number of course options in these two districts would be greater than Fort Edward. In analyzing the differences in course offerings, it is clear that the two larger high schools offer more electives than does Fort Edward. These electives take the form of honors courses, Advanced Placement courses, and courses that bear college credit. Hudson Falls and South Glens Falls also offer both Spanish and French while Fort Edward offers only Spanish. In addition, both larger districts offer more technology options for their students including a number of Project Lead The Way engineering courses in South Glens Falls. Finally both Hudson Falls and South Glens Falls are able to offer their students more business courses than Fort Edward is able to offer. In short, a merger of Fort Edward with either Hudson Falls or South Glens Falls would enhance the breadth of the academic courses at the high school level for all students, but especially for students in Fort Edward. This is simply due to the fact that larger high schools are able to offer more course offerings than smaller high schools. The increased number of course offerings is one of the major reasons that school districts consider merging. In addition to having access to more course offerings, a second academic advantage often results from merging high schools. Like most small high schools in New York State, Fort Edward has a number of courses with low enrollments, especially in the elective areas. In fact, Fort Edward has 43% of its high school sections with fewer than ten students. While Hudson Falls and South Glens Falls have some smaller classes, there are not nearly as many as in Fort Edward. As finances continue to squeeze school district operations, pressure will increase to eliminate programs. Programs with low enrollments will be the most vulnerable. By merging high schools, low enrollment classes can be combined which will increase enrollments and increase the probability that these offerings can be maintained for the students. The current status of low enrolled classes can be seen by curriculum area in table 6.4 that follows. 26 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Table 6.4 Grades 9-12 Section Sizes with Fewer Than Ten Students (Does not Include AIS or Credit Recovery Classes) Fort Edward Hudson Falls South Glens Falls Course Area English Social Studies Mathematics Science Languages Other than English Technology Business Fine Arts Family & Consumer Science Health & Physical Education Total Number of Sections Number of Sections with Fewer than 10 Students Number of Sections 13 22 11 10 6 9 4 1 34 40 30 32 Number of Sections with Fewer than 10 Students 3 3 3 6 59 56 56 46 Number of Sections with Fewer than 10 Students 5 2 5 8 3 0 16 1 25 2 8 0 21 5 0 15 7 5 21 0 1 1 15 10 34 0 3 7 2 1 2 1 0 0 9 2 21 0 53 3 99 43 (43%) 208 19 (9%) 354 35 (10%) Number of Sections There is nothing inherently wrong with small class sizes. In some ways, there are advantages to small class sizes. Individual attention can be given to students in smaller classes that cannot be provided to students as class sizes increase. On the other hand, in addition to the financial issues discussed previously, classes that are too small can reduce the amount of interaction between students of different views and actually decrease the benefit of the class. Without making value judgments about small class sizes, these data are presented in order to identify one of the challenges of small high schools. Finally, table 6.5 is presented to show the graduation rates for each of the three districts. This table points out that the data is more similar than different across the three school districts. 27 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Table 6.5 2018 Graduation Rate by District-4 Year Outcomes Total Regents Diploma Graduation Regents Students with Advanced Rate Diploma in Cohort Designation Fort Edward 38 71% 50% 21% Hudson Falls 174 72% 34% 30% South Glens Falls 252 87% 40% 38% Local Diploma 0 7% 9% Interscholastic athletics can evoke strong emotions in people. Athletics are often a great source of community pride and can serve to provide a well-rounded education for the students in a school district. All three districts are located in Section 2 of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. Tables 6.6-6.8 that follow show the number of interscholastic athletic opportunities that are available to the students in all three districts as well as the number of students involved in each activity. 28 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Table 6.6 Interscholastic Athletic Participation Rates-Fall-2018 Fall Sport Fort Edward Hudson Falls South Glens Falls Cheerleading, Varsity 10 11 10 Cheerleading, JV 4 Cross Country, Boys Varsity 6 14 Cross Country, Boys Modified 8 Cross Country, Girls Varsity 22 Cross Country, Girls Modified 5 Cross Country 3* Field Hockey Varsity 17 Field Hockey JV 16 Field Hockey Modified 28 Football, Varsity 21 24 36 Football, JV 34 31 Football, Modified 24 43 Golf, Varsity 4* 7 6 Soccer, Boys Varsity 1* 21 15 Soccer, Boys JV 19 23 Soccer, Boys Modified 6 39 Soccer, Girls Varsity 24 17 Soccer, Girls JV 18 Soccer, Girls Modified 18 Soccer, Varsity Soccer, JV 3* Soccer, Modified 2* Swimming, Girls 12 9** Tennis, Girls 9 14 Volleyball, Varsity 12 10 10 Volleyball, JV 12 13 12 Volleyball, Modified 11 22 *-Fort Edward students on merged team with Argyle **-South Glens Falls students on merged team with Hudson Falls 29 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Table 6.7 Interscholastic Athletic Participation Rates-Winter-2018-19 Winter Sport Fort Edward Hudson Falls South Glens Falls Basketball- Boys Varsity 12 12 13 Basketball- Boys JV 12 13 13 Basketball, Freshman 12 Basketball-Boys Modified 17 27 Basketball- Girls Varsity 8 8 11 Basketball-Girls JV 7 10 13 Basketball- Girls Modified 7 24 Bowling 21 10 15 Bowling, JV 7 Bowling, Unified 20 Cheerleading, Varsity 10 10 Cheerleading, JV 10 Ice Hockey, Varsity 19*** Indoor Track, Boys 24 21 Indoor Track, Girls 38 Indoor Track, JV 7 Swimming, Varsity 4** Swimming, Modified 8** Wrestling, Varsity 15 38 Wrestling, JV 7 Wrestling, Modified 13 **-South Glens Falls students on merged team with Hudson Falls ***-South Glens Falls students on merged team with Hudson Falls, Glens Falls, and Warrensburg 30 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Table 6.8 Interscholastic Athletic Participation Rates-Spring-2018 Spring Sport Baseball-Varsity Baseball, JV Baseball-Modified Fort Edward 7** 8** 6** Hudson Falls 10 15 South Glens Falls 14 15 28 Basketball, Unified 14 Lacrosse, Boys Varsity Lacrosse, Boys JV Lacrosse, Boys Modified Lacrosse, Girls Varsity Lacrosse, Girls JV Lacrosse, Girls Modified Softball-Varsity 3** 11 Softball, JV 6** 13 Softball-Modified 10** Tennis 8 10 Track & Field, Boys Varsity 33 Track & Field, Boys Modified Track, JV 30 Track & Field, Girls Varsity Track & Field, Girls Modified **-Fort Edward students on merged team with Hartford 25 27 23 19 22 21 15 16 8 49 29 56 16 Once again we find that Hudson Falls and South Glens Falls, being the larger districts, offer a much more substantial athletic program for their students. In addition to having limited offerings, Fort Edward shares a significant number of athletic programs with Argyle and Hartford. A merger with either Hudson Falls or South Glens Falls would create many more athletic opportunities for the students of Fort Edward. Such a merger might also provide the opportunity to develop new athletic offerings which could benefit students from both districts. While the opportunity for students to have more extra-curricular activities from which to choose is generally seen as an advantage, an additional factor related to merger is the increased competition for meaningful playing time on athletic teams. Some people see this as a negative while others see it as a positive. 31 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Chapter 7 Facilities In this chapter, we look at the structure of existing facilities. Facilities are an important aspect of school operations. They are costly to construct and require constant maintenance. However, they provide the environment in which students can be successful from both an academic and extra-curricular standpoint. They also represent major structures in all three of these communities and are, justifiably, a source of community pride. All three districts have done an admirable job of maintaining their facilities. Table 7.1 that follows describes the current elementary school facilities for Fort Edward, Hudson Falls, and South Glens Falls. Building Fort Edward Elementary Hudson Falls Kindergarten Center Hudson Falls Primary Hudson Falls Intermediate Table 7.1 Overview of Elementary Buildings* Year of Square Feet Number Original in Current of Building Building Floors Grades Housed Overall Condition of Building 1970 55,853 2 Pre-K-5 Satisfactory 1954 28,510 1 K Satisfactory 1954 72,199 1 1-3 Satisfactory 1954 55,287 1 4-5 Satisfactory South Glens Falls 1968 54,769 1 K-5 Satisfactory Ballard Elementary South Glens Falls 1957 52,036 1 K-5 Satisfactory Harrison Avenue South Glens Falls 1955 49,275 1 K-5 Satisfactory Moreau Elementary South Glens Falls 1968 63,013 1 K-5 Satisfactory Tanglewood Elementary * Data in this table was taken from the 2015 Building Condition Survey for each district The overview of the elementary schools provides some interesting contrasts. Fort Edward’s elementary school is located in a single building; Hudson Falls has developed its three elementary schools according to a grade center (Princeton/stacking) plan where the schools are organized by grade level; and South Glens Falls has neighborhood 32 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study schools. While all of the buildings were built in approximately the same era, only the Fort Edward building has two floors. When school districts merge, it is not uncommon for the districts’ elementary schools to remain in the communities where they are located prior to the merger. This is often done to maintain a school presence in a community. It is also done to avoid longer bus rides for the youngest children who attend the elementary schools. Should Fort Edward pursue a merger with either of the two study districts, it is possible that the decision will be made to keep an elementary school open in Fort Edward….in fact, that is the assumption made in this study. Similar to table 7.1, table 7.2 provides an overview of the secondary facilities. Building Fort Edward JuniorSenior High School Hudson Falls Middle School Hudson Falls High School Table 7.2 Overview of Secondary Buildings Year of Square Feet Number Original in Current of Building Building Floors Grades Housed Overall Condition of Building 1924 45,816 3 6-12 Satisfactory 1967 118,343 2 6-8 Satisfactory 1954 168,354 2 9-12 Satisfactory South Glens Falls 1932 153,450 3 6-8 Satisfactory Middle School South Glens Falls High 1964 157,040 2 9-12 Satisfactory School From the previous table 7.2, we see that the Fort Edward building is by far the oldest building having been built in 1924; it was followed eight years later by the construction of the South Glens Falls Middle School. All of the other facilities were constructed between the mid 50’s and mid 60’s. Fort Edward is by far the smallest building, not surprising because the student enrollment is much smaller in Fort Edward than in either of the other two districts. A merged school district is only permitted to have one high school. Therefore it will have to be determined whether or not Fort Edward maintains its own middle school or merges its middle school population with its merger partner district. Should Fort Edward merge with Hudson Falls or South Glens Falls, the Fort Edward students in 33 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study grades 9-12 would be transported to the high school of its merger partner. More discussion on this topic will follow later in this chapter. For purposes of this study, it will also be assumed that the merged district will decide to merge the middle schools. This is the most common approach to take when school districts merge since additional efficiencies are generated, duplication of facilities and program are eliminated, and academic and athletic program offerings are easier to offer the students. Should the merged district merge the middle schools, table 7.3 that follows show the resulting impact on student enrollment. Grade 6 7 8 Table 7.3 Increase in Middle School Enrollment with Fort Edward Merger % Increase % Increase in Student # of in Student 2018-19 # of Enrollment South Enrollment Fort # of Hudson with Glens with Edward Sections Falls Addition of Falls Addition of Enrollment Students Fort Edward Students Fort Edward Students Students 25 1 183 13.7% 237 10.5% 35 2 181 19.3% 249 14.1% 29 2 176 16.5% 194 14.9% As can be seen from table 7.3, accommodating the Fort Edward middle school students will increase enrollment in both districts anywhere from 10.5% to 19.3%. The question for a full merger study is whether or not these students can be absorbed into existing sections or whether additional sections of courses will have to be created. However, from a facilities standpoint, it does not appear that the construction of a new school or even an addition of classrooms would have to be undertaken to accommodate these students. Just as we have looked at the impact of merging the districts’ middle school students, it is also prudent to examine the impact of merging the high school populations. Table 7.4 that follows shows this data. 34 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Grade 9 10 11 12 Table 7.4 Increase in High School Enrollment with Fort Edward Merger % Increase % Increase in Student # of in Student 2018-19 # of Enrollment South Enrollment Fort # of Hudson with Glens with Edward Sections Falls Addition of Falls Addition of Enrollment Students Fort Edward Students Fort Edward Students Students 35 2 211 16.6% 257 13.6% 34 2 163 20.6% 244 13.9% 34 2 137 24.8% 240 14.2% 26 1 164 15.9% 217 12.0% As can be seen from table 7.4, accommodating the Fort Edward high school students will increase enrollment in both districts anywhere from 12.0% to 24.8%. The question for a full merger study is whether or not these students can be absorbed into existing sections or whether additional sections of courses will have to be created. However, from a facilities standpoint, it does not appear that the construction of a new high school or even an addition of classrooms would have to be undertaken to accommodate these students. In assuming that no significant facilities work will have to be undertaken, it is fully acknowledged that locating the 440 Fort Edward students following a merger would be a significant undertaking. It will undoubtedly require that changes to the existing facilities arrangements will have to be made. Some ways that this might be accomplished include the following: o rearranging special education classrooms; o not renting classrooms to BOCES; o recapturing classrooms that are now used for other purposes; o putting special classes on carts; o relocating programs that do not require full size classrooms into smaller rooms Obviously some of these changes are more desirable than others. Some of these options might work, others might not, and there may be other possibilities. However, staff will have to use these and other strategies to complete the assimilation of the Fort Edward students into the merged district. 35 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study From a distance perspective, a merger with either of the two study districts would not create significant issues in that Fort Edward is very small district geographically. Fort Edward has an area of 3 square miles, Hudson Falls has 53 square miles, and South Glens Falls has 66 square miles. While it does not appear that any additional buildings or any significant additions would be required for a merger of Fort Edward with either of these districts, some renovations and alterations can reasonably be expected. All three districts currently receive funding assistance from the state in order to construct their school buildings. And while the extent to which the state shares in the cost of capital construction can vary with each project, the current state sharing ratios for each district can be seen as follows. Fort Edward-87.0% Hudson Falls-84.8% South Glens Falls-79.5% Capital expense is an area where the state pays significant financial incentives for school districts that merge. If districts merge, the state provides incentives related to approved capital construction for a ten-year period and for existing building debt. For any approved capital construction in a merged district, the state multiplies the higher district’s building aid ratio by 30%, and then adds the resultant figure to the higher building aid ratio. New York State aids up to a maximum of 98% for high needs districts for a period of ten years after the merger. A merger of Fort Edward with either of the study districts would generate building incentive aid at the high needs level of 98%. This means that any approved costs for a new construction project in a Fort Edward merger with either district would be aided by the state at 98% for a period of ten years after the effective date of the merger.. Financial incentives for existing building debt are also available from the state. When districts merge, each individual district’s existing capital debt is brought forward and becomes an obligation of the merged district. However, with a merger, this existing capital debt is aided by the state at the higher of the previous districts’ building aid ratio. Any existing debt for either district involving a merger with Fort Edward would be aided at 87.0%, Fort Edward’s current aid ratio and the highest of the three districts. A complete analysis of the financial impact of these state incentives would be part of a complete merger study. 36 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Chapter 8 Transportation When school districts entertain possible consolidation, one significant variable that always comes up in discussion is the amount of time students (particularly young children) will have to ride the school bus each day to get to and from school. Therefore it is important to study the distances between schools in the three districts being studied. However, this analysis will not tell us how long all children will have to ride a school bus since many things influence this in addition to distance between buildings. Factors such as routing patterns, number of school buses, locations of school buildings, etc. all impact the amount of time students spend riding the bus. However, this look at distances between buildings can provide some basic information on distances and therefore gives a sense of additional riding times. For the purposes of this study, it is assumed that the Fort Edward Elementary School will remain open so Table 9.1 examines only the distances between the school buildings housing secondary students. Another factor, which will influence the time that students are on buses, is the geographic size of the district. As noted in Table 3.1, the geographic size of each district is as follows: Fort Edward, 3 square miles; Hudson Falls, 53 square miles; South Glens Falls, 66 square miles. In addition to the distance that children travel to get to and from school, another factor to be considered in a merger is the bus fleet that each district brings to the possible merger. Fort Edward currently has three large school buses, two small buses, and one van. Hudson Falls’ fleet includes twenty-seven large buses, fourteen 30-passenger buses, and three vans. South Glens Falls’ bus fleet consists of forty-two large buses, eight 30passenger buses, and seven small buses/vans ranging in size from 7-passenger to 18passenger. The above counts include spare vehicles. In examining the bus fleets of all three districts, it is readily apparent each has done a good job of keeping their fleets current. The districts have all consistently replaced buses each year. Since 2014, Fort 37 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Edward has been using a bus leasing program. It does not appear that the condition of any of the bus fleets would be a deterrent to merger discussions. District Fort Edward Table 9.1 Distance Between Secondary Schools Fort Edward Hudson Falls 3.1 miles/ 8 minutes South Glens Falls 5.8 miles/ 12 minutes Fort Edward currently transports only students in grades Pre-K – 3. In the event of a merger, Fort Edward students in grades 4 – 12 would be eligible for transportation under the policy guidelines of the annexing district. Since Fort Edward encompasses only three square miles for the entire district, Fort Edward students would have a relatively short bus ride to get to school and back, which for most students in grades 4 – 12, is not currently an option. When school districts entertain possible consolidation, one significant variable that always comes up in discussion is the amount of time students will have to ride the bus! 38 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Chapter 9 Staffing Education is a people intensive business. School districts routinely spend 7075% of their operating budgets on salaries and fringe benefits for the people who work in their schools. As school districts explore merger, consideration of the staffing needs of the school districts is important. This chapter of the report examines staffing patterns in the three study districts as well as the staffing implications should a merger occur. Prior to analyzing staffing data for this potential merger, it is important to review the impact that annexation has on staffing. In an annexation, teaching personnel in the district which is annexed have the right to employment in the annexing district if a vacancy exists within their tenure area. Teachers from the annexed district do not, however, have "bumping" rights. If a vacancy is not available within a teacher’s tenure area, the teacher is placed on a preferred eligible list for a period of seven years. Once employed, for salary, sick leave and any other purposes, the length of service credited in the annexed district shall be credited as employment time with the annexing district. The local civil service commission regulates the employment of support staff. We begin our review of staffing and related financial implications of merger by presenting the administrative organizational structure of the three study districts. The following table summarizes the administrative/supervisory positions in the three study districts. 39 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Table 9.1 Administrative & Supervisory Positions Position Fort Edward Hudson Falls Superintendent Assistant SuperintendentCurriculum & Instruction Director of Business/ Bus. Manager Treasurer Director of Special Education Elementary Principal Middle School Principal High School Principal Director of Technology District Data Coordinator Micro Systems Coordinator Director-Health Services/Science Transportation Supervisor Superintendent-Buildings & Grounds/Director-Facilities Maintenance Mechanic School Lunch Manager 1 1 South Glens Falls 1 - 1 1 1 1 1 1 - 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 - 1 1 1 - 1 1 All three districts have a superintendent of schools and a business official. Hudson Falls and South Glens Falls, being the larger districts, also have a district office administrator in charge of curriculum and instruction. Each of the districts has a principal in charge of each of the school buildings. Depending on the grade/building arrangements in a merged district, it might or might not be possible to reduce any building level administrators. In a merged district scenario, only one superintendent and one business administrator would be needed. We now look at the compensation of teachers in Fort Edward, Hudson Falls, and South Glens Falls. All three districts have a traditional salary schedule that is structured around years of service, the attainment of graduate credits, and the payment of a stipend or salary differential for attaining a Masters Degree. Table 9.2 that follows compares those salary grids for the three districts. 40 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Table 9.2 Comparison of Teacher Salary Schedules-2018-19 (Assumes a 30 Hour Masters Degree) Column and Step Fort Edward Hudson Falls South Glens Falls B-Step 1 44,685 41,470 42,424 B-Step 5 48,061 44,615 48,083 B-Step 10 54,423 49,769 56,390 B-Step 15 60,827 55,262 65,702 B-Step 20 68,907 60,100 82,448 Top Step 68,907 (20) 75,986 (24) 84,859 (23) M-Step 1 M-Step 5 M-Step 10 M-Step 15 M-Step 20 Top Step 46,844 49,929 56,288 62,664 84,364 84,364 (20) 43,170 46,315 51,469 56,962 61,800 77,686 (24) 44,948 50,607 57,140 68,225 85,276 87,691 (23) M+30-Step 1 M+30-Step 5 M+30-Step 10 M+30-Step 15 M+30-Step 20 Top Step 48,257 51,339 57,701 64,055 85,756 85,756 (20) 44,370 47,315 52,669 58,162 63,000 78,886 (24) 46,469 52,128 60,311 69,747 86,883 90,031 (23) The previous table 9.2 identifies certain steps on each salary column and also contains the highest salary in each column of the schedule with the number in parentheses representing the step/years of experience needed to reach that highest salary. In addition to the salary schedules, it should be noted that Hudson Falls pays an additional stipend to teachers whose years of credited experience have resulted in them being above the top step of the salary schedule. These amounts are part of the teachers’ salaries and are cumulative from one year to the next. The amounts of these stipends are as follows: 2018-19-$1,600 2019-20-$1,650 Similar to Hudson Falls, South Glens Falls also makes payments to teachers who are above the top step of the salary schedule. For teachers who reach the top step of the salary schedule in a previous year, a stipend of: 2018-19-$1,000 2019-20-$1,000 41 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study is paid at the conclusion of the school year. The stipend is non-cumulative and is not made part of the base salary of any school year. Off step payments notwithstanding, it is important to examine the comparable salary schedules presented in table 9.2. At the first five steps of the BA column, Fort Edward is equal to or higher than the other two districts. The first five steps of this column are most relevant because teachers are required to attain a Masters Degree for permanent certification and nearly all have achieved that in the first five years of teaching. At the Masters column, Fort Edward is consistently higher than Hudson Falls and very similar to the salaries paid in South Glens Falls. This same pattern holds for the Masters + 30 column. This comparison is not at all unusual when looking at the salary schedules of school districts. Negotiations in New York State are conducted in each school district. Each board of education negotiates with its bargaining units and ends up with contracts, none of which are the same from one school district to another. Subsequent to the annexation, however, it will be up to the board of education and the teacher union to negotiate a satisfactory way of defining salaries and benefits for the teachers in the new merged school district. In addition to comparing the salary schedules, table 9.3 that follows compares the actual salaries that are paid to teachers in the three districts. Table 9.3 Teacher Salary Information for 2018-19 Fort Edward Hudson Falls South Glens Falls Total Teacher Payroll $3,595,324 $12,469,853 $19,392,482 Number of Teachers 51.6 212.99 264 Average Teacher Salary $68,832 $58,544 $73,456 Average Teacher Step 15.1 13.1 16.1 In examining the teacher salary schedules in table 9.2 and the actual salaries paid to teachers in table 9.3, it is apparent that the Fort Edward and South Glens Falls schedules are fairly similar. The Hudson Falls salary schedule, on the other hand, is lower than either Fort Edward or South Glens Falls. The schedule in Hudson Falls is lower as evidenced in table 9.2 and the actual salaries paid to teachers is lower as shown in table 9.3. The actual salaries paid in Hudson Falls are lower in part because the salary schedule is lower and in part because the Hudson Falls teachers have the least senior staff with an 42 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study average step/experience of 13.1 years. Fort Edward has an average step of 15.1 and South Glens Falls has an average step of 16.1. In conclusion, the Fort Edward and South Glens Falls salary schedule are fairly similar while the Hudson Falls schedule is the lowest of the three districts. In discussing what the teacher salary schedule might look like in a merged district, it should be noted that the Hudson Falls teacher contract contains the following language: “If the Hudson Falls school district merges, consolidates, or acquires any other district during the life of this agreement, the monetary portion of this agreement will be reopened immediately.” It is difficult to predict how a salary schedule will be structured in a merged district. However, should a merger occur that involves Hudson Falls, attention will have to be paid to this language. There is no state statute or regulation that determines the level at which the successor teacher agreement in any annexation must be negotiated with respect to salary. Labor and management are free to negotiate a salary schedule that is similar to, higher than, or lower than the existing salary schedules. However, in districts that have merged in New York State, there has traditionally been a “leveling up” process that takes place with regard to salary and salary related benefits. That is, teachers in the lower paying of the merged districts have their salaries “leveled up” to the higher district salary schedule. In some cases this happens in the first year of the new contract. In other cases, this salary and related benefit “leveling up” happens over a period of years. It should be clearly understood that leveling up of salaries is not required in any way. While the financial incentives for merging are significant, these funds are finite and resources spent in one area precludes these resources being spent in another area. These are the priority decisions that a merged school district will have to face. The impact of merger on leveling up teacher salaries is difficult to predict. While it is true that previous mergers have provided for leveling up of teacher salaries, those mergers also took place in a very different economic climate than schools in New York State are facing today. However, there is no question that this concept should be included in planning for a possible merger study. This impact should, however, be considered in conjunction with the amount of incentive operating aid that the districts will be receiving 43 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study should a merger occur. The potential impact on teachers’ salaries, should a merger occur, will be discussed separately for each of the possible merger partners. In either merger scenario, an annexation of Fort Edward will occur. In this process, the Fort Edward teacher contract will expire and the Fort Edward teachers will, presumably, be placed on the annexing district’s teacher salary schedule. Should Fort Edward be annexed by Hudson Falls, the Fort Edward teachers will be placed on a salary schedule that is lower then their previous salary schedule. However, the language in the current Hudson Falls contract dealing with reopening monetary issues immediately after merging with another school district must then be considered. Should Fort Edward be annexed by South Glens Falls, the Fort Edward teachers would be placed on a more similar salary schedule from South Glens Falls. This illustrates the difficulty in trying to predict the salaries of teachers subsequent to a merger. However, with certain assumptions, the following two merger scenarios are considered. Should Fort Edward merge with Hudson Falls, there is a significant difference in the salary schedules for the two districts. Fort Edward with 52 teachers has the higher schedule compared with Hudson Falls which has 213 teachers. The vast majority of teachers are on the Masters Degree column. In comparing the salaries for Fort Edward and Hudson Falls on the Masters column, Fort Edward is higher by between $4,000 and $6,000 on steps 1-15. By the time the salaries on the Masters column are at step 20, Fort Edward is higher by approximately $23,000. At the Masters degree column top step, Fort Edward is higher by approximately $7,000 even though it takes Fort Edward teachers only 20 years to get to the top step while it takes Hudson Falls teachers 24 years to get to their top step. While an individual teacher analysis would be completed in a full merger study, this study estimates the potential impact of leveling up teacher salaries. Under the most conservative cost estimate, the Hudson Falls teachers might be leveled up to the Fort Edward teacher salary schedule. The difference in the average teacher salaries for the two districts is approximately $10,000. However, the Hudson Falls teachers are, on average, approximately two steps less senior than the Fort Edward teachers. The average step value on the Hudson Falls schedule is approximately $1,000 so two steps would provide an allowance of $2,000 for seniority. Subtracting that $2,000 from the average salary difference of approximately $10,000 would reasonably predict that the cost of leveling up the Hudson Falls teachers with the Fort Edward teachers could be 44 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study approximately $8,000 per teacher. With Hudson Falls’ 213 teachers, this could create a cost of approximately $1,704,000. Adding on an additional 25% for salary related benefits like retirement costs and social security contributions, the total cost for leveling up salaries and salary related benefits could be approximately $2,130,000. On the other hand, should Fort Edward merge with South Glens Falls, the current salary schedules would be much more similar. Fort Edward has 52 teachers compared with South Glens Falls which has 264 teachers. Again the vast majority of teachers are on the Masters Degree column. In comparing the salaries for Fort Edward and South Glens Falls on the Masters column, Fort Edward is higher by $2,000 at step 1 and lower by $1,000 on step 5; Fort Edward is higher by $1,000 at step 10 but lower by $6,000 at step 15 and lower by $1,000 on step 20. This makes the comparison of salary schedules quite challenging as far as predicting salaries for a merged district; however, the salary schedules are clearly more similar than the Hudson Falls schedule. While an individual teacher analysis would be completed in a full merger study, this study estimates the potential impact of leveling up teacher salaries. The difference in the average teacher salaries for the two districts is approximately $5,000. However, the South Glens Falls teachers are, on average, approximately one step more senior than the Fort Edward teachers. The average step value on the South Glens Falls schedule is approximately $2,000 so one step would provide an allowance of $2,000 for seniority. Subtracting that $2,000 from the average salary difference of approximately $5,000 would reasonably predict that the cost of leveling up the Fort Edward teachers with the South Glens Falls teachers could be approximately $3,000 per teacher. With Fort Edward’s 52 teachers, this could create a cost of approximately $156,000. Adding on an additional 25% for salary related benefits like retirement costs and social security contributions, the total cost for leveling up salaries and salary related benefits would be approximately $195,000 One other benefit that is of significant cost to school districts is the cost of health and dental insurance premiums for its employees. Table 9.4 that follows shows the contribution rates for health insurance premiums that the study districts pay for their employees. 45 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Provision Health Insurance Health Insurance Buyout Dental Insurance Table 9.4 Contractual Health/Dental Insurance Provisions Fort Edward Hudson Falls South Glens Falls -PPO-District pays 85% District pays 84.5% of District pays 82% of of premium premium premium -Alternate PPO-District pays 90% of premium -Gold Plan-District pays 95% of premium $2,500 for 2 person $4,100-only for 2 coverage; person or family $3,500 for family coverage coverage District pays 90% of District pays 100% for District pays 100% of premium individual coverage premium cost and 80% for family coverage From table 9.4, it is clear that health insurance premium payments vary from one district to another. Having said that, however, the contributions of all three districts are really quite similar. Insurance coverage is a complex undertaking and entails more detail than is shown in the table above. It is equally clear that, should a merger occur, the negotiation of a single health insurance program will be a complex and emotional undertaking. However, to the extent that this study looks at health insurance coverage, the conclusion is that the contribution rates are much more similar than different. All three districts contribute approximately the same amount for active staff. If a merger were to occur, a new plan would have to be developed but it is not anticipated that the financial impact would be so significant as to be included as a hindrance in this study. The final staffing item to be considered is the retirement incentive language that is included in each of the three districts’ teacher contracts. These provisions can be costly but can also be mitigated by the fact that some of the obligations are satisfied by one-time payments. The following table 9.5 examines the retirement incentive language in the teachers’ contracts. 46 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Provision Health Insurance in Retirement Retirement Incentive Table 9.5 Contractual Retirement Provisions Fort Edward Hudson Falls -if retirement is in the -with 10 years of 1st year of eligibility, service, retiring pay same % as active employee gets 1 members for all month of fully paid coverage health insurance for every 5 days of unused st -if not in 1 year of sick leave eligibility, employee pays 50% for -in the 1st year of individual and 65% for retirement eligibility spouse or family with at least 23 years of service (10 in HF), employee gets 1 month of fully paid health insurance for every 4 days of unused sick leave - with at least 10 years of service in FE, 40% of of sick days X daily rate to a maximum of $27,000 South Glens Falls -with 15 years in SGF and in the 1st year of retirement eligibility, when Medicare eligible the employee gets 100% of insurance paid for individual coverage; spouse is removed from coverage and employee gets $20,000; % decreases from 2nd to 5th year of eligibility -employee also receives 1 month of coverage at 82% district contribution for each 3-day block of unused sick leave -with at least 30 years of service (10 in HF), retiring teacher gets $500 for each year of experience in HF Table 9.5 again shows that all three districts provide some type of insurance coverage and incentives for their teachers. While these provisions are all different, again they are really quite similar. Should a merger occur, staff would have to negotiate an agreement that would provide clear benefits for retirees. 47 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Chapter 10 Finances Community support for its school district and the financial plan it presents annually is evidenced in the annual budget referendum. Communities that regularly support the board’s spending plan show confidence in the board’s ability to balance the needs of students with the taxpayers’ ability to pay. Therefore we begin by examining the history of budget votes in each of the study districts. That history of first annual budget votes is reflected in the table that follows. Table 10.1 History of School Budget Votes in the Study Districts Fort Edward Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Yes 164 187 138 147 164 135 168 109* 194 102 No 49 52 14 29 41 18 22 52* 60 153 Hudson Falls Yes 522 630 671 553 475 416 453 349 349 382 No 214 201 157 156 93 68 70 76 69 59 South Glens Falls Yes 1087 1069 1082 1143 950 933 812 864 721 579 No 543 697 824 424 363 275 273 239 167 144 * Tax Levy Increase exceeded Property Tax Cap Table 10.1 above portrays an enviable voting record on school budgets for all three districts. In the past 10 years, residents of Fort Edward, Hudson Falls, and South Glens Falls have passed budgets on the first vote every year with one exception. The 2018-19 Fort Edward budget was defeated on the first vote but was subsequently passed on the second vote with 103 ‘yes’ votes and 75 ‘no’ votes. Residents of all three districts have shown strong support for the spending plans advanced by their boards of education. Critical to the examination of the Fort Edward finances is the significant reduction to the assessed property valuation of the district from action related to the former General Electric Company dewatering plant. In 2016-17, the total assessed valuation of the Fort 48 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Edward district was $175,044,711. In 2018-19, the total assessed valuation of the district had been reduced to $109,905,421; a loss of $65,139,290, or 37.2%, of the total assessed value of the district. Because the costs to operate the school district did not go down, this dramatic loss in assessments meant that the obligation for funding the schools had to be spread across the taxpayers to cover the $65,139,290 loss of assessment from GE. To illustrate the dramatic impact of this loss on district taxpayers, it is helpful to consider what the 2018-19 tax rate per $1000 of assessed value would have been in Fort Edward had the assessed value remained the same as it was in 2016-17. The 2018-19 tax rate on assessed value is $27.30 / $1000 of assessed value. Using the 2016-17 assessed value of the district would result in a tax rate of $17.14 / $1000. The dramatic decrease in the district’s assessed value from GE resulted in an equally dramatic increase in the school taxes of other property owners is a major factor in this study being undertaken. Districts that consider merging bring with them their outstanding liabilities including capital debt. When a merger is being considered, if the debt load of the districts is considerably disproportionate, it can be viewed as a deterrent to merger. Therefore, we next looked at the debt service that is currently being carried by each district. This data is on debt that exists for projects actually undertaken by the school districts. Table 10.2 that follows reflects outstanding debt service for facilities as well as for school bus purchases as of June 30, 2018. Table 10.2 Debt Service Projections-Principal and Interest-Before State Aid (Indicates total principal and interest and year existing debt is retired) Year Fort Edward Hudson Falls South Glens Falls Retired 2018-19 $1,018,094 $4,880,421 $1,909,894 2019-20 $1,019,219 $4,719,793 $2,469,997 2020-21 $859,619 $4,465,466 $1,134,247 2021-22 $547,494 $4,388,984 $794,775 $550,869 $4,236,084 $789,778 2022-23 2023-24 $553,544 $2,480,353 $604,850 2024-25 $549,875 $890,053 $357,000 2025-26 $876,963 $5,000 2026-27 $692,950 $5,098,713 TOTAL $27,631,065 $10,561,849 49 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study The total debt load of the three districts can be seen in table 10.2. Fort Edward will be repaying debt through the 2024-25 school year and has a combined outstanding principal and interest totaling $5,098,713. The Hudson Falls debt repayment schedule will not be complete until 2026-27 and its total debt load of $27,631,065 is considerably greater than either of the other two districts. The South Glens Falls capital debt will expire in 2025-26 and its debt totals $10,561,849. The base year for all financial data in this report is 2017-18 since it is the last completed fiscal year. It is important to note that Fort Edward is expected to close on a $3.7 million bond for the current construction project prior to fiscal year end June 30, 2019. South Glens Falls will also be incurring additional debt for a capital project borrowing of $55.5 million in 2019-20 (paying off a construction BAN of $40.8 million from 2018-19). Existing debt is a factor that must be considered when looking at merger. However, it is important to note that the data contained in Table 10.2 is the total cost of principal and interest payments necessary to retire existing debt and does not include financial assistance received from the state in the form of building aid or transportation aid. The 2018-19 transportation aid ratios for the three districts are as follows: Fort Edward, .900; Hudson Falls, .900; and, South Glens Falls, .697. The building aid ratios for the three districts are: Fort Edward, .870; Hudson Falls, .848; and, South Glens Falls, .795. While building aid ratios may vary from one capital project to the next, these changes are usually not terribly significant. Obviously, given the percentages above, the state’s contribution to these capital costs significantly reduces the impact to the local taxpayer. In all three districts, the local taxpayer pays between 10 and 21 cents on the dollar for these capital costs. The amount of existing capital debt that Hudson Falls must repay is something the districts should consider during these discussions because its obligations are significantly more than the debt service in either of the other two districts. Capital expense is an area where the state pays significant financial incentives for school districts that merge. If two districts merge, the state provides incentives related to new capital construction and existing building debt. As explained in the facilities chapter of this report, a merger between Fort Edward and Hudson Falls would benefit from an enhanced building aid ratio of 98% since both districts are designated as “high needs” 50 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study districts. South Glens Falls is not designated as a “high needs” district but because Fort Edward is a “high needs” district, a merger between these two districts would also generate an enhanced building aid ratio of 98%. Also explained in the Facilities section of this report, incentives for existing building debt are available from the state as well. When districts merge, each individual district’s capital debt is brought forward and becomes an obligation of the merged district. However, with a merger, this existing capital debt is aided by the state at the higher of the previous districts’ building aid ratios. Consequently, consolidation of Fort Edward and Hudson Falls would increase the building aid ratio from 84.8% on the existing Hudson Falls debt to the Fort Edward building aid ratio of 87.0%. South Glens Falls would see an increase from its 79.5% building aid ratio to 87.0% in a merger with Fort Edward. School districts that are well managed put money aside for unexpected events such as emergencies (for example, replacing a school’s boiler) as well as for expected future expenditures (for example, capital improvements). Mergers are somewhat like a marriage. When districts merge, along with liabilities brought to the marriage, each district also provides assets. The fund balances a school district has established are assets. Therefore, the three school districts’ fund balance accounts as of June 30, 2018 are summarized in table 10.3 that follows. Table 10.3 School District General Fund Balances - June 30, 2018 South Glens Fort Edward Hudson Falls Falls Restricted $1,164,318 $1,514,564 $12,284,990 Assigned $243,772 $358,094 2,397,401 Unassigned $730,235 $1,577,934 $1,799,919 Total Fund Balance $2,138,325 $3,450,592 $16,482,310 It can be seen from table 10.3 that all three districts have maintained funds in reserve (restricted) accounts despite the fiscal challenges of the past several years. These districts, like all other school districts in New York State, were required to set their tax rate for the 2018-19 school year by September 1, 2018. The following table highlights items from this tax rate calculation. 51 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Table 10.4 Full Value Tax Calculation: 2018-2019 Fort Edward Hudson Falls Full Value $137,381,776 $921,110,739 2018-19 School Levy $3,000,000 $12,234,098 Full Value Tax Rate/$1,000 $21.84 $13.03 South Glens Falls $1,926,795,798 $29,884,088 $15.51 Calculating full value tax rates is the only fair way to compare one district to another due to variations in local assessment practices. Also, the percentage spread between school district tax rates becomes important when districts are considering a potential merger as will be evidenced later in this study. As Table 10.4 illustrates, the spread in tax rates per thousand dollars of full value between Fort Edward ($21.84) and Hudson Falls ($13.03) is $8.81 or 67.6%. The spread between Fort Edward ($21.84) and South Glens Falls ($15.51) is $6.33 or 40.8% An extremely important benefit of school district consolidation in New York State is the amount of extra state aid a newly merged district receives. This additional incentive aid is determined by the wealth of the new district and a 14-year declining additional percentage of general aid called incentive operating aid. For the first five years following a merger, an additional 40% of the 2006-07 base operating aids of the previous districts is received. Beginning in year six, the percentage is reduced 4% a year for the next nine years. In year 15, the incentive operating aid is discontinued. The first two-district combination is Fort Edward and Hudson Falls. Table 10.5 below tells us that for the first five years following consolidation, the new district would receive an additional $4,637,994 of incentive operating aid each year. In total, fourteen years after consolidation, the total amount of incentive operating aid would be $44,060,947. 52 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Table 10.5 Incentive Operating Aid – Fort Edward and Hudson Falls Year Fort Edward 2006-07 Operating Aid Hudson Falls 2006-07 Operating Aid Combined 2006-07 Operating Aid 2020-21 (1) 2021-22 (2) 2022-23 (3) 2023-24 (4) 2024-25 (5) 2025-26 (6) 2026-27 (7) 2027-28 (8) 2028-29 (9) 2029-30 (10) 2030-31 (11) 2031-32 (12) 2032-33 (13) 2033-34 (14) 2034-35 (15) $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $9,333,120 $9,333,120 $9,333,120 $9,333,120 $9,333,120 $9,333,120 $9,333,120 $9,333,120 $9,333,120 $9,333,120 $9,333,120 $9,333,120 $9,333,120 $9,333,120 $9,333,120 $11,594,986 $11,594,986 $11,594,986 $11,594,986 $11,594,986 $11,594,986 $11,594,986 $11,594,986 $11,594,986 $11,594,986 $11,594,986 $11,594,986 $11,594,986 $11,594,986 $11,594,986 IOA% Incentive Operating Aid 40% 40% 40% 40% 40% 36% 32% 28% 24% 20% 16% 12% 8% 4% 0% TOTAL $4,637,994 $4,637,994 $4,637,994 $4,637,994 $4,637,994 $4,174,195 $3,710,396 $3,246,596 $2,782,797 $2,318,997 $1,855,198 $1,391,398 $927,599 $463,799 $0 $44,060,947 Table 10.6 is essentially the same as table 10.5 but the merger combination of Fort Edward and South Glens Falls is displayed. The key data to note in this table is, again, the amount of incentive operating aid the newly merged district would receive in each of the first five years following merger as well as the total amount of revenue the merged district would receive following 14 years of this incentive aid payment. 53 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Table 10.6 Incentive Operating Aid – Fort Edward and South Glens Falls Year Fort Edward 2006-07 Operating Aid South Glens Falls 2006-07 Operating Aid Combined 2006-07 Operating Aid 2020-21 (1) 2021-22 (2) 2022-23 (3) 2023-24 (4) 2024-25 (5) 2025-26 (6) 2026-27 (7) 2027-28 (8) 2028-29 (9) 2029-30 (10) 2030-31 (11) 2031-32 (12) 2032-33 (13) 2033-34 (14) 2034-35 (15) $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $2,261,866 $10,797,726 $10,797,726 $10,797,726 $10,797,726 $10,797,726 $10,797,726 $10,797,726 $10,797,726 $10,797,726 $10,797,726 $10,797,726 $10,797,726 $10,797,726 $10,797,726 $10,797,726 $13,059,592 $13,059,592 $13,059,592 $13,059,592 $13,059,592 $13,059,592 $13,059,592 $13,059,592 $13,059,592 $13,059,592 $13,059,592 $13,059,592 $13,059,592 $13,059,592 $13,059,592 IOA% Incentive Operating Aid 40% 40% 40% 40% 40% 36% 32% 28% 24% 20% 16% 12% 8% 4% 0% TOTAL $5,223,837 $5,223,837 $5,223,837 $5,223,837 $5,223,837 $4,701,453 $4,179,069 $3,656,686 $3,134,302 $2,611,918 $2,089,535 $1,567,151 $1,044,767 $522,384 $0 $49,626,450 For the first five years following consolidation, the new district would receive an additional $5,223,837 of incentive operating aid each year. In total, fourteen years after consolidation of Fort Edward and South Glens Falls, the total amount of incentive operating aid would be $49,626,450. While decisions about the allocation of resources are left solely to the discretion of the new board of education in a merged district, it is not unusual for boards to divide the incentive operating aid into three relatively equal priorities. These priorities are: • Using incentive operating aid to pay for transition costs and starting up new programs; there are always costs that exist when two school districts merge. These costs may include new academic programs, enhancing academic support and talent development, starting new extra-curricular programs, adjusting salaries, having new signs for the school buildings, buying new uniforms, updating the policy manual, etc. 54 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study • Using incentive operating aid to fund reserves to ensure the long-term fiscal stability of the merged district. The incentive operating aid from the state decreases by 4% starting in year six and for each year thereafter for the next nine years. If prudent long term financial planning has not been done in advance, this reduction in incentive operating aid will result in significant tax increases for the residents after the first few years of the merger. • Using incentive operating aid to reduce taxes immediately after the merger. One of the areas where merged school districts incur expenses for transition costs is in leveling up teacher salaries. In the Staffing chapter of this report, the concept of leveling up teacher salaries is discussed in detail. Again, it should be remembered that there is no requirement that teacher salaries be leveled up; however, most merged districts have chosen to undertake this process in some form. The Staffing chapter identifies the estimated costs of leveling up teacher salaries. Should Fort Edward merge with Hudson Falls, the estimated cost of leveling up teacher salaries would be approximately $2,130,000. Should Fort Edward merge with South Glens Falls, the estimated cost of leveling up teacher salaries would be approximately $195,000. In consideration of these costs, attention must be paid to the additional incentive operating aid that the merged district would be receiving for fourteen years. Should a merger occur, it is also very possible that significant savings could be realized by the elimination of duplicate positions currently funded in both of the districts. In a complete merger study, these savings would be researched in detail but, for purposes of this study, these savings would be more similar than different for these two merger options. The two-district combinations at the end of 14 years following a merger would yield a total additional incentive aid of $44,060,947 for Fort Edward and Hudson Falls or $49,626,450 for Fort Edward and South Glens Falls. 55 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study As mentioned previously, neighboring school districts can have widely varying tax rates. Consequently, despite the additional incentive operating aid a merger of school districts might receive, it is important to compare the current tax rates of each district and to calculate the impact of the additional incentive operating aid on each district’s current tax rate. This impact on the districts’ tax rates can be seen in Table 10.7 and Table 10.8. Most districts that merge expect to apply some percentage of this incentive operating aid to reduce and stabilize the local tax rate. In most merger studies, it is typically recommended that the new district begins by considering that approximately one-third of the incentive operating aid be used for this purpose, noting that adjustments can then be made according to local expectations and prudent planning. In Tables 10.7 and 10.8, the tax levy is calculated (using the 2018-19 fiscal year as a base) as if the districts had merged under two scenarios – the merger of Fort Edward and Hudson Falls and the merger of Fort Edward and South Glens Falls. Tables 10.7 and 10.8 that follow illustrate the impact on the full value tax rate for the combined districts of Fort Edward and Hudson Falls (Table 10.7) and Fort Edward and South Glens Falls (Table 10.8). Four scenarios are shown – no incentive aid applied to reduce the tax levy, 33.3% incentive operating aid used to reduce the levy, 40% incentive operating aid used, and 50% incentive operating aid used to reduce the tax levy. Reducing the tax levy reduces the tax rate for all taxpayers. In both examples, the use of 33.3% incentive operating aid would reduce the full value tax rate for both districts. The last three rows of tables 10.7 and 10.8 show the amount of incentive operating aid that would need to be used to reach the lower tax rate of the two districts. For a combined Fort Edward and Hudson Falls (Table 10.7), $1,205,345, or 26% of the incentive operating aid in year one would need to be applied to the tax levy to ensure a zero tax rate increase for the residents of Hudson Falls. 56 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Table 10.7 Impact of Incentive Operating Aid for Fort Edward and Hudson Falls: 2018-19 2006-07 Base Aid Fort Edward Hudson Falls Total $2,261,866 $9,333,120 $11,594,986 Additional 40% IOA-each of 1st 5 years 33.3% Incentive Aid-each of 1st 5 years 40% Incentive Aid-each of 1st 5 years 50% Incentive Aid-each of 1st 5 years Total Levy Less 33.3% Incentive Operating Aid Total Levy Less 40% Incentive Operating Aid Total Levy Less 50% Incentive Operating Aid Fort Edward Taxable Full Value Hudson Falls Taxable Full Value Combined Taxable Full Value Full Value Tax Rate with 0% of Incentive Operating Aid Applied Full Value Tax Rate with 33.3% of Incentive Operating Aid Applied Full Value Tax Rate with 40% Incentive Operating Aid Applied Full Value Tax Rate with 50% Incentive Operating Aid Applied Fort Edward 2018-19 Full Value Tax Rate Hudson Falls 2018-19 Full Value Tax Rate Actual 2018-19 Total Levy to be Raised by Tax for Merged District Levy Needed to get to tax rate of $13.03 Amount/Percent of Incentive Operating Aid to Reach Needed Levy 2018-19 Levy Amount to be Raised by Tax $3,000,000 $11,997,502 $14,997,502 $4,637,994 $1,544,452 $1,855,198 $2,318,997 $13,453,050 $13,142,304 $12,678,505 $137,381,776 $921,110,739 $1,058,492,515 $14.17 $12.71 $12.42 $11.98 $21.84 $13.03 $14,997,502 $13,792,157 $1,205,345 / 26.0% Table 10.8 that follows shows that in a combined Fort Edward and South Glens Falls district, only $868,694, or 16.6%, of the incentive operating aid in year one would need to be applied to the tax levy to ensure a zero tax rate increase for the residents of South Glens Falls. 57 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Table 10.8 Impact of Incentive Operating Aid for Fort Edward and South Glens Falls: 2018-19 2006-07 Base Aid Fort Edward South Glens Falls Total $2,261,866 $10,797,726 $13,059,592 2018-19 Levy Amount to be Raised by Tax $3,000,000 $29,884,088 $32,884,088 Additional 40% IOA-each of 1st 5 years 33.3% Incentive Aid-each of 1st 5 years 40% Incentive Aid-each of 1st 5 years 50% Incentive Aid-each of 1st 5 years Total Levy Less 33.3% Incentive Operating Aid Total Levy Less 40% Incentive Operating Aid Total Levy Less 50% Incentive Operating Aid Fort Edward Taxable Full Value South Glens Falls Taxable Full Value Combined Taxable Full Value Full Value Tax Rate with 0% of Incentive Operating Aid Applied Full Value Tax Rate with 33.3% of Incentive Operating Aid Applied Full Value Tax Rate with 40% Incentive Operating Aid Applied Full Value Tax Rate with 50% Incentive Operating Aid Applied Fort Edward Full Value Tax Rate South Glens Falls Full Value Tax Rate Actual 2018-19 Total Levy to be Raised by Tax for Merged District Levy Needed to get to tax rate of $15.51 Amount/Percent of Incentive Operating Aid to Reach Needed Levy $5,223,837 $1,739,538 $2,089,535 $2,611,918 $31,144,550 $30,794,553 $30,272,170 $137,381,776 $1,926,795,798 $2,064,177,574 $15.93 $15.09 $14.92 $14.67 $21.84 $15.51 $32,884,088 $32,015,394 $868,694 / 16.6% Tables 10.7 and 10.8 show the percentage of incentive operating aid that must be applied to the merger combinations in order for both districts in the merger to have a tax rate that was either equal to or less than the tax rate that the individual district had prior to the merger. 58 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study As noted above, the full value tax rate is the only fair way to compare one district to another due to variations in local assessment practices. Many districts also lie in multiple towns and villages. Therefore, the full value tax rate is not the rate that will appear on the property owner’s tax bill. Tables 10.9 and 10.10 further explore the financial impact of the merger of Fort Edward and Hudson Falls or Fort Edward and South Glens Falls by looking at the tax rate per $1000 of assessed value. When districts merge, the general guideline for long term financial success of the merged district is to use the incentive aid in three equal ways – reducing the tax burden for property owners, paying for transition costs and starting up new programs, and creating reserve funds. Using the assumption that 1/3 (33.3%) of the incentive aid in the merged district is applied to reduce the combined 2018-19 tax levies of each of the districts, the tax rate on assessed property value for each of the towns is represented in Table 10.9 (Fort Edward/Hudson Falls) and Table 10.10 (Fort Edward/South Glens Falls). Table 10.9 Tax Rate per $1000 Assessed Value – Fort Edward/Hudson Falls Merger Assessed Value of Hudson Falls Assessed Value of Combined Districts Equalization Rate Percent of Levy Moreau $58,318,665 $58,318,665 100% 5.51% 2018-19 School Levy to be Raised by Tax using 33.3% of Incentive Aid Each of 1st Five Years $741,206 Queensbury $7,794,973 $7,794,973 100% 0.74% $99,071 $12.71 Town Assessed Value of Fort Edward Tax Rate / $1000 Assessed $12.71 Argyle $1,935,641 $1,935,641 100% 0.18% $24,601 $12.71 Fort Ann $15,357,869 $15,357,869 100% 1.45% $195,192 $12.71 $124,218,891 $234,124,312 80% 27.65% $3,719,528 $15.89 Hartford $1,919,308 $1,919,308 100% 0.18% $24,394 $12.71 Kingsbury $680,510,669 $680,510,669 100% 64.29% $8,649,008 $12.71 $890,056,016 $999,961,437 100.00% $13,453,000 Fort Edward Total $109,905,421 $109,905,421 59 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Table 10.10 Tax Rate per $1000 Assessed Value – Fort Edward/South Glens Falls Merger Assessed Value of South Glens Falls Assessed Value of Combined Districts Equalization Rate Percent of Levy Moreau $1,389,170,190 $1,389,170,190 100% 67.30% 2018-19 School Levy to be Raised by Tax using 33.3% of Incentive Aid - Each of 1st Five Years $20,959,961 Northumberland $111,458,716 $111,458,716 100% 5.40% $1,681,702 $15.09 Wilson $404,858,547 $404,858,547 95% 20.65% $6,430,055 $15.88 $109,905,421 80% 6.66% $2,072,832 $18.86 100.00% $31,144,550 Town Assessed Value of Fort Edward Fort Edward $109,905,421 Total $109,905,421 $1,905,487,453 $2,015,392,874 Using this model, all taxpayers in the Hudson Falls or in South Glens Falls would see a reduction of 2.5% - 3.0% in the current tax rate on assessed value. The tax rate on assessed value in Fort Edward would be reduced by 30% - 40% in either merger scenario. It is clear that, from a tax benefit perspective, a merger of either Fort Edward and Hudson Falls or Fort Edward and South Glens Falls would be feasible and financially beneficial for both districts. Using the rule of thumb that 1/3 of the incentive aid could be used to reduce the tax levy, all residents in either merger scenario would see a reduction in their school tax rates. 60 Tax Rate / $1000 Assessed $15.09 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Chapter 11 Summary Considerations In examining the merger of school districts in New York State, there is one factor that simply has not been overcome when school districts are considering a merger. If the amount of incentive operating aid that is received by the merged district is not sufficient to have the tax rate of the higher taxing district reduced to at least the rate of the lower taxing district, the chances of a successful merger are minimal at best. In examining the incentive operating aid for these three districts, we find that both options reviewed would be feasible from a tax rate standpoint. Using the generally accepted rule of thumb that approximately one third of the incentive operating aid should be devoted to tax equalization/reduction and stabilization, the following are the projected amounts of incentive operating aid needed for tax stabilization: ü Fort Edward & Hudson Falls = 26.0% ü Fort Edward & South Glens Falls = 16.6% In addition to the tax impact, the other primary factor in predicting potential merger success is the financial soundness of the districts. Table 11.1 that follows examines this data for the study districts and shows that each district has planned for the future using reserves and is currently in a sound fiscal position. Hudson Falls has significantly more debt than the other two districts but the difference is somewhat offset by state building aid ratio. Table 11.1 Financial Soundness Factors for the Districts Fort Edward Hudson Falls South Glens Falls Total Debt Service thru 2026-27 $5,098,713 $27,631,065 $10,561,849 Current Building Aid Ratio Local Share of Debt Service* Restricted Fund Balance Unassigned Fund Balance .870 $662,833 $1,164,318 $730,235 .848 $4,199,922 $1,514,564 $1,577,934 .795 $2,165,179 $12,284,990 $1,799,919 *This is an approximation for all capital projects are given varying state aid reimbursement rates based on a variety of factors. In addition to meeting the threshold standard of acceptable tax rates, there are other factors that might be considered by the districts. Some potential advantages and disadvantages are now considered. In creating this listing, it should be noted that an 61 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study advantage for one person might be perceived to be a disadvantage for another person and vice versa. Advantages of a Merger of Fort Edward with Hudson Falls: 1. A merger with Hudson Falls would lessen the impact of the declining enrollment that is currently occurring in Fort Edward; 2. A merger with Hudson Falls would increase the probability that program reductions would not occur in the future because of low enrolled classes in Fort Edward; 3. A merger with Hudson Falls would provide more academic opportunities for the Fort Edward high school students; 4. A merger with Hudson Falls would provide more extracurricular opportunities for the Fort Edward high school students; 5. Because of the incentive operating aid associated with a merger, it is quite possible that additional programs for the students can be added in a merger with Hudson Falls; 6. Because Fort Edward encompasses only three square miles, a merger with Hudson Falls would increase the size of the current district only slightly; 7. Because Fort Edward encompasses only three square miles, a merger with Hudson Falls would require only minor changes in either district’s transportation system; 8. A merger with Hudson Falls would provide an opportunity for district transportation not currently available to most Fort Edward students in grades 4 – 12. 9. There is the potential for the reduction of duplicate staff in both districts should Fort Edward merge with Hudson Falls; 10. Hudson Falls would benefit from a merger with Fort Edward because its state aid reimbursement on current capital debt would increase to 87%; 11. Both Fort Edward and Hudson Falls would benefit from a merger because their building aid ratio would be enhanced to 98% of approved capital expenses for future renovations and additions for ten years after the merger; 12. Both Fort Edward and Hudson Falls would benefit from a merger because the incentive operating aid would be a significant infusion of revenue into the merged district; 62 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study 13. Using the generally accepted rate of 33.3% of the incentive operating aid to reduce the tax levy in the merged district, a decrease in the tax rate would occur for all taxpayers in Fort Edward and Hudson Falls. Advantages of a Merger of Fort Edward with South Glens Falls: 1. A merger with South Glens Falls would lessen the impact of the declining enrollment that is currently occurring in Fort Edward; 2. A merger with South Glens Falls would increase the probability that program reductions would not occur in the future because of low enrolled classes in Fort Edward; 3. A merger with South Glens Falls would provide more academic opportunities for the Fort Edward high school students; 4. A merger with South Glens Falls would provide more extracurricular opportunities for the Fort Edward high school students; 5. Because of the incentive operating aid associated with a merger, it is quite possible that additional programs for the students can be added in a merger with South Glens Falls; 6. Because Fort Edward encompasses only three square miles, a merger with South Glens Falls would increase the size of the current district only slightly; 7. Because Fort Edward encompasses only three square miles, a merger with South Glens Falls would require only minor changes in either district’s transportation system; 8. A merger with South Glens Falls would provide an opportunity for district transportation not currently available to most Fort Edward students in grades 4 – 12. 9. There is the potential for the reduction of duplicate staff in both districts should Fort Edward merge with South Glens Falls; 10. Should Fort Edward merge with South Glens Falls and the decision be made to level up teacher salaries, the cost would be a relatively low $195,000; 11. South Glens Falls would benefit from a merger with Fort Edward because its state aid reimbursement on current capital debt would increase to 87%; 12. Both Fort Edward and South Glens Falls would benefit from a merger because their building aid ratio would be enhanced to 98% of approved capital expenses for future renovations and additions for ten years after the merger; 63 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study 13. The remaining debt service for Fort Edward and South Glens Falls are relatively similar; 14. Both Fort Edward and South Glens Falls would benefit from a merger because the incentive operating aid would be a significant infusion of revenue into the merged district; 15. Using the generally accepted rate of 33.3% of the incentive operating aid to reduce the tax levy in the merged district, a decrease in the tax rate would occur for all taxpayers in Fort Edward and South Glens Falls. Disadvantages of a Merger of Fort Edward with Hudson Falls: 1. With a larger merged high school, there will be more competition for meaningful playing time on the school athletic teams; 2. Should Fort Edward merge with Hudson Falls and the decision be made to level up teacher salaries, the cost would be a relatively high $2,130,000; 3. The remaining debt service for Hudson Falls is significantly higher than the debt service in either of the other study districts; Disadvantages of a Merger of Fort Edward with South Glens Falls: 1. With a larger merged high school, there will be more competition for meaningful playing time on the school athletic teams; In summary, the merging of school districts is a very complex undertaking. While there may be numerous benefits that accrue to the students and taxpayers of a merged district, always present are the emotional attachments that exist with the identity, the traditions, and the community center that schools represent for many people. Nevertheless, given the analysis of the data that is contained in this study, it appears that a merger of Fort Edward with either the Hudson Falls or South Glens Falls district could prove to be beneficial for the students and the taxpayers under either merger option. Upon closer analysis, however, it appears that while both merger options provide significant benefits, the merger of Fort Edward with South Glens Falls holds more promise for the following reasons: 64 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study 1. While they are both significant, a Fort Edward merger with South Glens Falls would generate more incentive operating aid ($49,626,450) than a merger with Hudson Falls ($44,060,947); 2. While tax relief is probable for both merger options, a smaller amount of the incentive operating aid would be needed to level the tax rates in Fort Edward and South Glens Falls (16.6%) than in Fort Edward and Hudson Falls (26%); 3. In a merger with South Glens Falls, the Fort Edward residents would assume their share of less debt service ($10,561,849) than with Hudson Falls ($27,631,065); 4. While all three districts are carrying fund balances in their budgets, South Glens Falls has a total fund balance of $16,482,310 compared with the total fund balance for Hudson Falls of $3,450,592; 5. Should a decision be made to level up teacher salaries, that cost would be $198,000 with a Fort Edward and South Glens Falls merger and $2,130,000 with a Fort Edward and Hudson Falls merger. 65 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study Chapter 12 Tuitioning of Fort Edward Students in Grades 7 – 12 The final topic studied is the feasibility of Fort Edward tuitioning its students in grades 7-12 to Hudson Falls. In this tuitioning option, Fort Edward would close its middle school and high school and send its secondary students to Hudson Falls. Fort Edward would then pay tuition to Hudson Falls in order to educate these students. There are currently 29 school districts in New York State that tuition their students to other districts. School districts consider tuitioning in order to provide opportunities for students that are not feasible to offer in their home school district and to reduce the cost of running a high school, the most expensive operation in a school district. In a tuitioning arrangement, the sending district teachers from Fort Edward are considered employees of the receiving district of Hudson Falls. If fewer teachers are needed to staff the Hudson Falls schools after the tuitioning has been completed, Fort Edward teachers do not have bumping rights. Rather, they are placed on a preferred eligible list for a period of seven years. When employed in Hudson Falls, the length of service for Fort Edward teachers carries over for salary, sick leave, and other purposes. Should the tuitioning arrangement come to pass, the following positions in the Fort Edward school district would be eliminated: o o o o o o o o o o o o o o English teacher-3 Social studies teacher-3 Math teacher-3 Science teacher-3 Special education teacher-3 Spanish teacher-1 Physical education teacher-1 Music Teacher-1 Guidance Counselor-1 Teacher aide-2 Teaching assistant-1 High school principal-1 High school secretary-1 BOCES art teacher-1 66 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study The elimination of these 25 positions would reduce expenses in the Fort Edward school district by approximately $1,503,911 in salaries. Adding an additional 50% for the cost of fringe benefits would put the total savings at approximately $2,255,867. The New York State Education Department (NYSED) provides a formula to districts for the purpose of calculating the maximum tuition that a district receiving students can charge. Simply stated, the formula takes the expenditures directly related to student instruction and deducts state aid received. This results in a total net expenditure for instruction that is then divided by the number of students. There is a separate tuition calculation for students in special needs programs that factors in the additional instructional support costs related to the students’ programs. This means that the tuition rate for special needs students is generally considerably higher. The 2018-19 tuition rate for students in grades 7-12 received by Hudson Falls is $3,264 per ‘regular education’ student and $20,836 per ‘special education’ student based on 2018-19 state aid output report (NRT EST). There are 193 students enrolled in grades 7-12 this year in Fort Edward as documented in Table 5.1. The average percentage of students in Fort Edward receiving special education services is 13% based on NYSED data for the years 2010-11 through 2016-17. Assuming that 13% of the students in grades 7-12 will receive special education services from Hudson Falls, there would be 25 students with special needs and 168 students receiving ‘regular education’ services. At the above tuition rates, the cost for these students would be $1,069,252 (168 x $3,264 + 25 x $20,836). Another factor that would require consideration should the districts decide to explore this option in more detail is the transportation costs for students. Given the small geographic size of the Fort Edward district and the proximity to Hudson Falls, transportation costs for tuitioned students should not be a deterrent to further discussion. This preliminary data suggests that tuitioning of the Fort Edward students in grades 7-12 to Hudson Falls could result in a net savings for Fort Edward of approximately $1,300,000 while providing expanded opportunities for students. While this study is primarily focused on pre-merger discussions, the tuitioning of Fort Edward secondary students appears to be a viable alternative. However, it must be emphasized that the financial incentives relating to incentive operating aid and enhanced capital aid 67 Fort Edward, Hudson Falls & South Glens Falls Pre-Merger Study that are available to districts which merge are not available to districts which enter a tuitioning arrangement. 68