In letter, Merokean calls for consolidation of local school districts

To the Editor:

As a Merrick taxpayer, parent of four, public school teacher and CPA, I've learned that sometimes the most obvious ideas become very good ideas. Consolidating the four Merrick and Bellmore elementary school districts would reduce school taxes with no impact of the quality of education or change in the daily activities of students.

Given what has become the standardization of curriculum, the high quality of education provided in the four districts is virtually identical. Yet, with four different school districts, the taxpayers are absorbing the cost of four superintendents and their staffs.

Consolidating the four districts into one elementary school district would serve to maintain the focus on elementary education in Merrick and Bellmore while reducing costs.

The hesitancy to consolidate the districts includes fears of closing neighborhood schools and busing children to schools not in their neighborhoods. However, as it relates to the consolidation of the districts, there would be no reason to do this, and the consolidation agreement could insure that this did not happen. The hesitancies also include the feeling that the smaller districts allow for more parents' input into the educational process. The PTAs, critical to high quality education, are school- and district-based and would continue to have school-level input as well as district-level input.

People opposed to consolidation will also point out that there would be no immediate savings, as it would take years to work through the contractual obligations of the central staff personnel. However, if we don't start now, when will we start?

How much could be saved? Over time, the four superintendents would become one (for a savings of about $800,000), the four assistant superintendents for business would become one and the four superintendents for curriculum would become one (at a savings of about $1 million). Of course, consolidation of staff functions would also yield significant savings.

How would we get started. Each of the four school boards could appoint a representative to sit on a committee charged with developing an action plan that would include PTA representatives and community leaders.

Jeff Glass

Merrick