Regionalization

WHAT IS REGIONALIZATION?

According to the New York State Education Department ("NYSED"), regionalization is described as a process that seeks to provide equitable educational opportunities for all students through collaborative partnerships among school districts, BOCES, and other stakeholders. NYSED states that “the goal of this work is to provide space for local education leaders to envision, and convey to NYSED, what strategies and actions they will take locally to provide students with equitable opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive, and what supports, regulatory and statutory actions, and funding are needed to achieve these aims.” Under the emergency/proposed regulations, each district within a Board of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES) supervisory district is required to work with the BOCES District Superintendent to develop and implement a regionalization plan at least every ten (10) years. Should the regulations be adopted, BOCES will play a central role in facilitating regionalization efforts. The proposed regulations provide that component school districts and BOCES would begin implementing the approved regionalization plans no later than the start of the 2026-2027 school year.

While NYSED has explicitly stated that regionalization should not be interpreted “as a mandate to merge programs/districts,” there has been opposition to the NYSED regionalization mandate from community members and school districts on Long Island and across the State, particularly concerning the perceived loss of local autonomy. Opposition has been documented through letters and public comments expressing concerns regarding various procedural, legal, and operational aspects of the regionalization initiative. Though the final plan is far from complete, if and when it is implemented it will have a significant impact on school districts and stakeholders.

There is still an opportunity to be heard on this important subject, and you can access additional information at the link below. The public comment period will close on November 24, 2024. While the emergency/proposed regulations are currently temporarily in effect, the proposed regulations could be adopted as by the Board of Regents as a permanent rule at their January, 2025 meeting.

Make your voices heard!

To learn more about the Regionalization plan, please click HERE.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT REGIONALIZATION WITH NYSED BY NOVEMBER 24, 2024

Mail comments to:
David Frank, Assistant Commissioner
Office of Education Policy
89 Washington Avenue,  Room 115 EB
Albany, NY 12234

Email comments: mailto:REGCOMMENTS@nysed.gov

Phone: (518) 408-1951