NY State Senate Bill 2013-S7189

Senate Bill S7189

2013-2014 Legislative Session

Expands the school districts that may, by district vote, consolidate their school district with a school district of a city with less than one hundred twenty-five thousand inhabitants

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

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

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 02, 2014	referred to education

2013-S7189 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §1524, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2015-2016: S2467
2017-2018: S1439

2013-S7189 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Expands the school districts that may, by district vote, consolidate their school district with a school district of a city with less than one hundred twenty-five thousand inhabitants.

2013-S7189 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S7189

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
consolidation with city school districts

PURPOSE:

To allow for the voluntary consolidation of a school district in close
proximity with a city school district within the education law.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends section 1524 of the education law to allow a school
district in close proximity to a city school district, to voluntarily
consolidate with that city school district.

Section two provides for the effective date.

EXISTING LAW:

Currently, the Education Law allows for the voluntary consolidation of
a school district or districts contiguous to a city school district.
It does not allow a school district in close proximity to a city
school district to pursue such consolidation.

JUSTIFICATION:

New York state law provides school districts contiguous to city school
districts, with the option to pursue consolidation, with the potential
of achieving greater efficiency and cost savings. However, a school
district which is in close proximity to a city school district, yet
not contiguous to that city school district cannot pursue
consolidation under the current law. The ability to consider
consolidation among school districts should be expanded so that those
school districts in close proximity to a city school district, might
also have the benefit of considering consolidation as an option.

School districts in New York State face problems including declining
enrollment, escalating costs and limited resources. As a result of
such pressures, school districts are forced to look at the
configurations of their schools with the objective of seeking
efficiencies and strategies to control ever increasing costs, while
still providing a high quality education for students.

The option to consider consolidation should not be limited to only
those school districts contiguous to city school districts.
Broadening the law to allow schools in close proximity to city school
districts to consider consolidation gives these schools one more tool
to use as they try to operate as efficiently and effectively as
possible.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

This is a new bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:


This bill may result in savings to those school districts who chose to
consolidate their operations.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

Immediately.

2013-S7189 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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

                                  7189

                            I N  S E N A T E

                               May 2, 2014
                               ___________

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

AN ACT to amend the education law, in  relation  to  consolidation  with
  city school districts

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

  Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 1524  of  the  education  law,  as
amended  by  chapter  461  of  the  laws  of 1996, is amended to read as
follows:
  1.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter or any other gener-
al, special, or local law to the contrary, whenever the qualified voters
of a school district which is contiguous to the city school district  OR
IN  CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT of a city with less than
one hundred twenty-five thousand inhabitants, according  to  the  latest
federal census, by a majority vote taken at an annual or special meeting
of  such  district  shall adopt a proposition to consolidate such school
district with such city school district, and the board of  education  of
such city school district shall by resolution duly adopted consent ther-
eto,  the  commissioner  [of  education]  may  by order consolidate such
school district with such city school district; provided, however,  that
where several school districts are contiguous to each other and at least
one  of such school districts is contiguous to such city school district
OR IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SUCH CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT,  such  vote  may  be
taken  in  each  of  such  school districts at the same time, and if the
proposition to consolidate is adopted by a majority vote  in  each  such
district,  including any votes cast by absentee ballot as provided under
section two thousand eighteen-a or two thousand eighteen-b of this chap-
ter, whichever shall apply, and upon the  consent  of  the  city  school
district board of education, the commissioner [of education] may include
each  such  district  in  one order of consolidation; provided, further,
however, that if the proposition to consolidate  is  not  adopted  by  a
majority vote in each such district, but is so adopted in one or more of
such  districts,  upon  the consent of the city school district board of
education, the commissioner may include in one  order  of  consolidation

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

                                                           LBD14700-01-4

S. 7189                             2

only  such  district  or  districts as, either singly or as a group, are
contiguous to such city school district OR IN CLOSE  PROXIMITY  TO  SUCH
CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT.  Such order shall specify a date on which the same
shall  take effect, and shall have the same effect as an order made by a
district superintendent dissolving two or more common  school  districts
and  forming  a new district therefrom, or dissolving one or more common
school districts and uniting the  territory  thereof  to  a  union  free
school district under the provisions of article thirty-one of this chap-
ter.   A copy of such order shall be filed with the clerk of each school
district affected thereby.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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