Poll: Should School Districts Consolidate?

With school administrators looking for ways to save precious dollars as they face a statewide tax cap and local residents concerned about high property taxes, the idea of consolidating school districts is again being discussed.

Newsday recently reported that Martin Cantor, former director of Dowling College’s think-tank, outlined a plan before the Long Island Regional Planning Council that he said could save local school districts millions of dollars each year.

According to Newsday, Cantor’s plan would merge dozens of school districts, eliminate most superintendent’s jobs and turn hiring and budgeting over to building principals.

Cantor said that the 47 school districts in the western portion of Suffolk County could save $32 million each year in central office expenses by forming five townwide systems that would serve Babylon, Brookhaven, Huntington, Islip and Smithtown.

Click here to read the Newsday story.