Time to Consolidate Long Island Districts (Massapequa, Amityville: low income, houses, neighborhood)

[nbres]

It is time that Long Islanders seriously consider consolidating the over 120 school districts into just two districts. There should be a county district for Nassau and one for Suffolk. The savings on our tax bills would be enormous and such a system would be far more equitable to all.

Many states around the country have their school districts divided by county; i.e., North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, etc.. The reasons why property taxes are so much lower in those states is that they don't have to replicate the costs of administering school district in over 60 districts as in Nassau, and the same in Suffolk. Instead there is one central board, Superintendent, etc... What you get is economies of scale and the cost per educatiog each student goes down.

Another issue is that students have more choices to attend specialized schools for the gifted or for special needs, etc...No need to cross district lines since there is only one district. The system would be far more equitable overall. Students trapped now in substandard districts would have the opportunity to go anywhere. Low performing schools would be shut down and/or reorganized. Every child on Long Island should have equal access to a quality education no matter where they live.

It is time to end educational apartheid on Long Island which is based on class as well as race. It is time to consolidate all school districts in Nassau and also in Suffolk.

[AnthonyNYC]

Originally Posted by nbres

It is time to end educational apartheid on Long Island which is based on class as well as race. It is time to consolidate all school districts in Nassau and also in Suffolk.

You're a stand up guy posting this. I was a little surprised when I read it. Anyway, I would not want it. I paid 100K more for my house to make sure my daughters went to a school district that had overall good scores, good graduation rates, low student suspensions and an area that had lower free lunch. I bought a smaller house so my wife could stay home.

Now, the next town over the houses are 100K less and much larger. If I lived in that town I would love the idea but it seems a lose-lose for me. I wish the area I lived in was more diverse to teach my kids about other cultures etc but I accomplish that in other ways. Imagine if your idea where to pass, I wonder what would happen on Long Island!!!

A few years back I created a spreadsheet like the one below before I bought my house. I still update it when I get time. I have over 20 school districts to compare. I did a lot of work to make sure I could provide the best area for my kids not by looking at race but by looking at the facts. I removed the names of the school districts not to offend anyone. As a matter of fact the school district 3 which was my first choice in school district (far right column) was more diverse racially but it was another 20 miles east of me.

[AnthonyNYC]

[yeaitsme]

I am all for consolidation!!! It wll pool resources and get rid of the overpaid administrations that are currently governing the school districts now. More opportunities would be available to each student and placements would be based on a child's strengths. It would definitely make education better for every child on long island especially the children who are working towards higher education. For those who aren't or cant more resources would be available for specialized technical schools. Our current system is outdated. The districts were great in a time of less population but now we are way too close together to be segregated like this and paying 10 superintendants in a 20 mile radius to all do the the job one great one could do.

The states that have the newer districting in place rate their school systems way above what Long Islanders do. Even if taxes stay the same the benefit to our children's education would far outweigh the perceived negatives.

[yeaitsme]

Originally Posted by AnthonyNYC

I hate to say this but those numbers should not be acceptable. 68% getting a higher education (past 2 years) is unacceptable. It is also a number that has no real world application. Numerous people I know have degrees and are not working in their field.

IMO for the taxes we pay our kids should have more opportunity. Consolidation would provide that. Long Island is small enough that it would be successful!

[TristansMommy]

Originally Posted by AnthonyNYC

You're a stand up guy posting this. I was a little surprised when I read it. Anyway, I would not want it. I paid 100K more for my house to make sure my daughters went to a school district that had overall good scores, good graduation rates, low student suspensions and an area that had lower free lunch. I bought a smaller house so my wife could stay home.

Now, the next town over the houses are 100K less and much larger. If I lived in that town I would love the idea but it seems a lose-lose for me. I wish the area I lived in was more diverse to teach my kids about other cultures etc but I accomplish that in other ways. Imagine if your idea where to pass, I wonder what would happen on Long Island!!!

A few years back I created a spreadsheet like the one below before I bought my house. I still update it when I get time. I have over 20 school districts to compare. I did a lot of work to make sure I could provide the best area for my kids not by looking at race but by looking at the facts. I removed the names of the school districts not to offend anyone. As a matter of fact the school district 3 which was my first choice in school district (far right column) was more diverse racially but it was another 20 miles east of me.

Just becasue the kid would be consolidated doesn't mean that suddenly that school your daughter will be attending will start performing poorly. Yeah.. there will be one district, but students wil still go to the school within the districts that are closest tot he home they live in!!! Which means your daugther wouldn't be bussed to a place you consider a bad school.

I'm all for consolidation.. but it's people like Anthonly that won't let it happen!!!

[nbres]

Originally Posted by yeaitsme

I am all for consolidation!!! It wll pool resources and get rid of the overpaid administrations that are currently governing the school districts now. More opportunities would be available to each student and placements would be based on a child's strengths. It would definitely make education better for every child on long island especially the children who are working towards higher education. For those who aren't or cant more resources would be available for specialized technical schools. Our current system is outdated. The districts were great in a time of less population but now we are way too close together to be segregated like this and paying 10 superintendants in a 20 mile radius to all do the the job one great one could do.

The states that have the newer districting in place rate their school systems way above what Long Islanders do. Even if taxes stay the same the benefit to our children's education would far outweigh the perceived negatives.

This is in relation to your other thread about Special Education. Would it not make more sense to have a consolidation of resources to help special education kids. For example there should be in Nassau three or four centers to help PDD/Autistic children, same goes for Suffolk. Parents wouldn't have to fret about which district is best for special education - it wouldn't matter where you lived.

Consolidation of school districts is logical and in the end the best solution for reducing property taxes on Long Island. It is also fair and just.

[AnthonyNYC]

Originally Posted by yeaitsme

I hate to say this but those numbers should not be acceptable. 68% getting a higher education (past 2 years) is unacceptable. It is also a number that has no real world application. Numerous people I know have degrees and are not working in their field.

IMO for the taxes we pay our kids should have more opportunity. Consolidation would provide that. Long Island is small enough that it would be successful!

If that's unacceptable, the parents are to blame. School districts do not say that your child cannot go to a 4 year college. That data comes down to the wealth of the parents in the school district.

Anthony

[AnthonyNYC]

Originally Posted by TristansMommy

Just becasue the kid would be consolidated doesn't mean that suddenly that school your daughter will be attending will start performing poorly. Yeah.. there will be one district, but students wil still go to the school within the districts that are closest tot he home they live in!!! Which means your daugther wouldn't be bussed to a place you consider a bad school.

I'm all for consolidation.. but it's people like Anthonly that won't let it happen!!!

You try telling that to the people in Massapequa SD 23 that they are mixing Amityville where the houses are 150K apart from one district to another. I have seen the differences myself. Before being a stay at home mom, my wife was a teacher in a lower income area. The parents on those areas did not show as much interest in their kids as parents in higher income areas. Their kids were poorly prepared for school, sleepy in class, no books, no pencils etc. Each year we would spend our money to provide basic things for these kids. In a classroom environment it was much worse since it affected the other kids that were prepared.

There is a lot more than goes into this. Schools in Queens etc have the new "whiteboard" available. Will that extra spending because they are consolidated make me want to send my kids to inner city schools? No. Even in areas that are consolidated parents struggle to get into the better performing schools. An example would be Forest Hills High School, their school is more desirable than others and parents do what they have to to get into those schools. It's the same thing consolidated or not, there will always be better performing schools except now you have to travel further to get to them.

Anthony

[TristansMommy]

Originally Posted by AnthonyNYC

You try telling that to the people in Massapequa SD 23 that they are mixing Amityville where the houses are 150K apart from one district to another. I have seen the differences myself. Before being a stay at home mom, my wife was a teacher in a lower income area. The parents on those areas did not show as much interest in their kids as parents in higher income areas. Their kids were poorly prepared for school, sleepy in class, no books, no pencils etc. Each year we would spend our money to provide basic things for these kids. In a classroom environment it was much worse since it affected the other kids that were prepared.

There is a lot more than goes into this. Schools in Queens etc have the new "whiteboard" available. Will that extra spending because they are consolidated make me want to send my kids to inner city schools? No. Even in areas that are consolidated parents struggle to get into the better performing schools. An example would be Forest Hills High School, their school is more desirable than others and parents do what they have to to get into those schools. It's the same thing consolidated or not, there will always be better performing schools except now you have to travel further to get to them.

Anthony

Well Anthony, rather than take the attitude that "those bad students will rub off on my kid and make my kid a bad student" .. which is basically what you are saying.. why not say "well hey.. maybe some of the kids that are currently in Amityville Schools that will come to Massapequa.. MAY have the good attitude and opportunities rub off on them and convert them frmo "Bad" students to "good" students.

Secondly.. consolidating does not mean closing the schools and shuttling kids to different schools.. neccesarily.. it means consolodating the administration boards etc. There may be a few schools that are not up to full capacity that would close and students would be dispursed to other "district" school buildings.. but why does that neccesarily translate into your children and suddenly the children already in that school suddenly performing badly..
Your assumption of that is just ridiculous.. while I agree that low income area schools do not perform as well as other areas with a better income.. that only holds true when the school district is PRIMARILY poor students from households that do not help, can not help nor participate in the childrens schooling wether it's from lack of caring or ability. That doesn't make any kind of sense. .and now you're treating less priveledged people as a disease like lepracey (okay..I dont know how to spell it.. don't really want to look it up right now either). Yoru son/daughter will still be surrounded by the same poeple that also bought into your neighborhood. While schools would not be lable good or bad by district, they would be by "neighborhood". And. wasn't it you that showed the school district that was performing best and was one of your first choice (but not purchased in for other reasons) one that had the most diversity?

It's thinking like yours.. "children from poorer economic circumstances will infect my child with bad grades" that is preventing the change that LI so sorely needs and we overtaxed are begging for.