Taxpayers and residents in the Southampton and Tuckahoe school districts will have the opportunity Wednesday night to get their questions answered on the feasibility of merging the two school districts.
The Southampton and Tuckahoe school boards are convening a joint meeting at Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton Village at 7 p.m. Wednesday, and the public is invited to attend.
According to a statement from Tuckahoe School District, the overriding question of the discussion will be, “Would instructional opportunity be enhanced for all students at a similar or reduced cost to taxpayers by combining the two districts?”
It is the first of a series of meetings with SES Study Team, LLC, an Albany-area consulting firm hired to examine the potential merger. For this initial session Wednesday, the consultants are expected to outline the scope of their work and their timetable. Future meetings will focus on key topics and questions, such as district governance, projected enrollment, class size, academic programs and facilities use, according to a district statement.
Tuckahoe and Southampton school districts will each organize a community advisory committee, of communty members, staff and local officials. The ad hoc committees will work between Jan. 28 and Aug. 1, and five to seven joint meetings between each district's community advisory committee are expected to be scheduled.
The committees will be charged with listening to presentations and discussions, and provide their own perspectives and feedback; to advise the consultants; to help keep residents informed; and to promote three-way communication among school district officials, residents and the consultants. For additional criteria, see the attached pdf.
Tuckahoe community members who are interested in joining are invited to call Linda Springer at 631-283-3550 ext. 317 before Jan. 22.
Southampton School District community members can contact Terri Sutherland at 631-591-4510 or tsutherland@southamptonschools.org to inquire about joining. More information is available on the district website.