State regionalization plan sparks Long Island educators' opposition
The state Board of Regents at a meeting last November in Albany. The board approved the first part of the regionalization plan at its September meeting. Credit: Hans Pennink
A state plan to regionalize some aspects of public education has ignited a firestorm of opposition among many Long Island educators, who say it's an attempt to strip away local control and diminish the authority of elected school boards.
State Department of Education officials say that's not the intent of the regionalization plan, but rather to foster conversations across the state to enhance access for all students to educational opportunities. Local districts can bow out of any initiative that comes up during the process, they said.
The state Board of Regents approved the first part of the plan at its September meeting. Under it, school districts would complete a 46-page assessment of their strengths and needs by Dec. 6, as well as participate in subsequent meetings with other districts to discuss potential ways to help each other.
The regionalization meetings will be overseen by the superintendents of the local BOCES, who will submit a progress report to the state by April 1. The implementation of approved plans would occur no later than the start of the 2026-27 school year.
"Our concern is the possible loss of local control," Levittown Superintendent Todd Winch said. Pointing to state officials' statement that districts don't have to sign on to any plans that come up, he added, "If that is the case, we will not participate."
Roosevelt, however, is one district that supports the regionalization plan, Superintendent Shawn Wightman said. He said he is also seeing support from other districts in lower-income areas.
Wightman said he believes the state is not looking to force collaboration on districts.
"We are one island, and if we can work together to provide services and pool resources, all our kids will be better off," he said.
Robert Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau Suffolk School Boards Association, said he is hearing from districts in favor of the plan, as well as those opposed, and that many districts are waiting to receive more information.
Though the plan is in its early stages, it is becoming a charged topic among local educators and school boards and has spurred several districts to send letters of opposition to the state.
It has created such a ruckus that Roger Tilles, the Island's representative on the state Board of Regents, said he will make a recommendation at the board's meeting Monday to change some of its regulatory language to clarify the plan's intent.
"There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding and rumors about it," Tilles said. "We're not looking to change local control. In fact, we're standing up for local control. Each district can do what it wants."
Tilles said the plan only mandates that districts participate in the needs assessment and subsequent meetings.
"After that, they can opt in or out at any point," he said. "We're not trying to impose anything. ... In no way are we mandating any action on the part of a board that is not in each district's best interest. There's an ability to opt out of any recommendation."
Long Islanders have a history of combating state policies that are perceived to be forced upon them, said Lawrence Levy, executive dean of Hofstra University's National Center for Suburban Studies.
"One of the reasons people move to the suburbs, and sink their life savings into a home, is that they want more control over their lives," Levy said. "Nobody wants to be told what to do."
That desire for local control, he added, is part of why Long Island has 124 separate school districts, he said. In all, the state has 731.
"Regionalization, state mandates, anything that comes from a higher authority, are dirty words in suburbs around the state and country," Levy said.
Island educators fighting the plan say they don't oppose collaboration with other districts and do so regularly. But they worry that the plan could compel them to unfairly share some educational programs and classes and therefore reduce the participation of their own students, educators said.
The Nassau-Suffolk School Board Association, fielding numerous questions and complaints, held a webinar Tuesday where two state education officials tried to ease concerns.
Elsewhere, representatives of some 28 Island districts sent a joint letter condemning the plan to Island school boards and administrators.
"Once made permanent, these regulations will have the binding force of law, stripping away local autonomy and diminishing the authority of elected boards of education," the letter said.
It was written by the Coalition of New York State School Board Members and endorsed by representatives of the following Island districts: Oyster Bay-East Norwich, Locust Valley, Hicksville, Cold Spring Harbor, East Meadow, Massapequa, Smithtown, Plainedge, Manhasset, Elwood, Levittown, Island Trees, Hewlett-Woodmere, Hauppauge, Seaford, Mount Sinai, Sachem, Eastport-South Manor, West Islip, East Islip, East Rockaway, Levittown, Center Moriches, Connetquot, North Bellmore, Garden City, Islip and Franklin Square.
In addition, Assemb. Jake Blumencranz (R,C-Oyster Bay) announced on Thursday that he has introduced legislation aimed at blocking any state-mandated regionalization plans and preserving local control over school districts.
“The strength of our local school districts lies in their autonomy. Decisions about how best to educate our children must be made at the community level — not dictated from Albany," Blumencranz said in a news release.
Wightman, of the Roosevelt district, said he believes the opposition is driven by politics around the presidential election. Many of the opposing districts are in conservative areas, and he said he believes it is intended to anger voters against the Democrat-led state government and consequently drive them to the polls.
"This should not be about politics; it should be about kids," Wightman said.
Joseph Monastero, superintendent of the Cold Spring Harbor district, said he fears that control over this initiative will transfer power to BOCES superintendents, who will be coordinating the local efforts. The state has 37 BOCES, and Long Island has three: Nassau BOCES, Western Suffolk BOCES and Eastern Suffolk BOCES, which provide shared educational programs and services to districts.
He said the regulatory language enabling the plan is not clear on whether districts can opt out.
"The past two weeks, my phone has been busy. People do not know what this means. They got very nervous about the vagaries in it," Monastero said.
Massapequa schools Superintendent William Brennan said the regulatory language associated with the plan appears to contradict what state education officials are saying regarding local control.
He pointed to the "rule-making" regulations for the plan outlined in the Sept. 25 issue of the New York State Register, the official journal of state government that contains information on regulations and rule-making activities.
In particular, Brennan said he was concerned with the sentence that speaks to the responsibilities of the BOCES superintendents in shaping plans that prepare students for "college, career, and civic readiness."
The language said: "If such metrics are not being met, the department or [BOCES] superintendent shall compel the component district to amend its section of the regionalization plan to achieve desired outcomes as set forth by the component school district pursuant to subdivision (b) of this section."
Brennan said, "The concern we have is that the regulations transfer and consolidate power in the BOCES superintendent to compel districts to implement plans. That erodes local control by the boards of education. ... 'Compel' is a powerful word."
Island BOCES officials are trying to bring down the level of fear and assure Island educators that the plan is not about mandates.
"This initiative aims to create customized, local frameworks that enable districts to share resources and expand learning opportunities as they see fit, but it is not mandatory," Nassau BOCES spokesperson Angela Marshall said.
Adding to the local concerns is that the Board of Regents used its emergency powers in approving the regionalization plan, before local school boards had a chance to review and comment on it, said Winch, of Levittown.
Jeff Matteson, the state Education Department's senior deputy commissioner for education policy, said the Board of Regents used its emergency powers because it is concerned that the State Legislature and governor could change funding for public education. Officials want to gather some ideas on collaboration ahead of time, he said.
The Levittown district sent state education officials a letter urging the state to "pause" the initiative.
"The restructuring of our educational system is too critical to be dictated by rushed, top-down mandates that overlook the valuable insights of local boards of education and the communities they represent," the letter said.
A state plan to regionalize some aspects of public education has ignited a firestorm of opposition among many Long Island educators, who say it's an attempt to strip away local control and diminish the authority of elected school boards.
State Department of Education officials say that's not the intent of the regionalization plan, but rather to foster conversations across the state to enhance access for all students to educational opportunities. Local districts can bow out of any initiative that comes up during the process, they said.
The state Board of Regents approved the first part of the plan at its September meeting. Under it, school districts would complete a 46-page assessment of their strengths and needs by Dec. 6, as well as participate in subsequent meetings with other districts to discuss potential ways to help each other.
The regionalization meetings will be overseen by the superintendents of the local BOCES, who will submit a progress report to the state by April 1. The implementation of approved plans would occur no later than the start of the 2026-27 school year.
WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND
- A growing number of Long Island education officials are opposing a state plan to regionalize some areas of public education, with several calling it an attempt to strip away local control.
- State Department of Education officials say that is not the intent of the plan, but rather to foster conversations across the state to enhance access for all students to educational opportunities.
- State education officials said local districts can bow out of any initiative that comes up during the process, but some local education officials have challenged that assertion.
"Our concern is the possible loss of local control," Levittown Superintendent Todd Winch said. Pointing to state officials' statement that districts don't have to sign on to any plans that come up, he added, "If that is the case, we will not participate."
Roosevelt, however, is one district that supports the regionalization plan, Superintendent Shawn Wightman said. He said he is also seeing support from other districts in lower-income areas.
Wightman said he believes the state is not looking to force collaboration on districts.
"We are one island, and if we can work together to provide services and pool resources, all our kids will be better off," he said.
Robert Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau Suffolk School Boards Association, said he is hearing from districts in favor of the plan, as well as those opposed, and that many districts are waiting to receive more information.
Though the plan is in its early stages, it is becoming a charged topic among local educators and school boards and has spurred several districts to send letters of opposition to the state.
It has created such a ruckus that Roger Tilles, the Island's representative on the state Board of Regents, said he will make a recommendation at the board's meeting Monday to change some of its regulatory language to clarify the plan's intent.
"There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding and rumors about it," Tilles said. "We're not looking to change local control. In fact, we're standing up for local control. Each district can do what it wants."
Tilles said the plan only mandates that districts participate in the needs assessment and subsequent meetings.
"After that, they can opt in or out at any point," he said. "We're not trying to impose anything. ... In no way are we mandating any action on the part of a board that is not in each district's best interest. There's an ability to opt out of any recommendation."
'Dirty words in suburbs'
Long Islanders have a history of combating state policies that are perceived to be forced upon them, said Lawrence Levy, executive dean of Hofstra University's National Center for Suburban Studies.
"One of the reasons people move to the suburbs, and sink their life savings into a home, is that they want more control over their lives," Levy said. "Nobody wants to be told what to do."
That desire for local control, he added, is part of why Long Island has 124 separate school districts, he said. In all, the state has 731.
"Regionalization, state mandates, anything that comes from a higher authority, are dirty words in suburbs around the state and country," Levy said.
Island educators fighting the plan say they don't oppose collaboration with other districts and do so regularly. But they worry that the plan could compel them to unfairly share some educational programs and classes and therefore reduce the participation of their own students, educators said.
The Nassau-Suffolk School Board Association, fielding numerous questions and complaints, held a webinar Tuesday where two state education officials tried to ease concerns.
Elsewhere, representatives of some 28 Island districts sent a joint letter condemning the plan to Island school boards and administrators.
"Once made permanent, these regulations will have the binding force of law, stripping away local autonomy and diminishing the authority of elected boards of education," the letter said.
It was written by the Coalition of New York State School Board Members and endorsed by representatives of the following Island districts: Oyster Bay-East Norwich, Locust Valley, Hicksville, Cold Spring Harbor, East Meadow, Massapequa, Smithtown, Plainedge, Manhasset, Elwood, Levittown, Island Trees, Hewlett-Woodmere, Hauppauge, Seaford, Mount Sinai, Sachem, Eastport-South Manor, West Islip, East Islip, East Rockaway, Levittown, Center Moriches, Connetquot, North Bellmore, Garden City, Islip and Franklin Square.
In addition, Assemb. Jake Blumencranz (R,C-Oyster Bay) announced on Thursday that he has introduced legislation aimed at blocking any state-mandated regionalization plans and preserving local control over school districts.
“The strength of our local school districts lies in their autonomy. Decisions about how best to educate our children must be made at the community level — not dictated from Albany," Blumencranz said in a news release.
Wightman, of the Roosevelt district, said he believes the opposition is driven by politics around the presidential election. Many of the opposing districts are in conservative areas, and he said he believes it is intended to anger voters against the Democrat-led state government and consequently drive them to the polls.
"This should not be about politics; it should be about kids," Wightman said.
Cold Spring Harbor schools Superintendent Joseph Monastero said he fears a transfer of power to BOCES superintendents. Credit: Rick Kopstein
Concern over BOCES role
Joseph Monastero, superintendent of the Cold Spring Harbor district, said he fears that control over this initiative will transfer power to BOCES superintendents, who will be coordinating the local efforts. The state has 37 BOCES, and Long Island has three: Nassau BOCES, Western Suffolk BOCES and Eastern Suffolk BOCES, which provide shared educational programs and services to districts.
He said the regulatory language enabling the plan is not clear on whether districts can opt out.
"The past two weeks, my phone has been busy. People do not know what this means. They got very nervous about the vagaries in it," Monastero said.
Massapequa schools Superintendent William Brennan said the regulatory language associated with the plan appears to contradict what state education officials are saying regarding local control.
He pointed to the "rule-making" regulations for the plan outlined in the Sept. 25 issue of the New York State Register, the official journal of state government that contains information on regulations and rule-making activities.
In particular, Brennan said he was concerned with the sentence that speaks to the responsibilities of the BOCES superintendents in shaping plans that prepare students for "college, career, and civic readiness."
The language said: "If such metrics are not being met, the department or [BOCES] superintendent shall compel the component district to amend its section of the regionalization plan to achieve desired outcomes as set forth by the component school district pursuant to subdivision (b) of this section."
Brennan said, "The concern we have is that the regulations transfer and consolidate power in the BOCES superintendent to compel districts to implement plans. That erodes local control by the boards of education. ... 'Compel' is a powerful word."
Island BOCES officials are trying to bring down the level of fear and assure Island educators that the plan is not about mandates.
"This initiative aims to create customized, local frameworks that enable districts to share resources and expand learning opportunities as they see fit, but it is not mandatory," Nassau BOCES spokesperson Angela Marshall said.
Adding to the local concerns is that the Board of Regents used its emergency powers in approving the regionalization plan, before local school boards had a chance to review and comment on it, said Winch, of Levittown.
Jeff Matteson, the state Education Department's senior deputy commissioner for education policy, said the Board of Regents used its emergency powers because it is concerned that the State Legislature and governor could change funding for public education. Officials want to gather some ideas on collaboration ahead of time, he said.
The Levittown district sent state education officials a letter urging the state to "pause" the initiative.
"The restructuring of our educational system is too critical to be dictated by rushed, top-down mandates that overlook the valuable insights of local boards of education and the communities they represent," the letter said.
Craig Schneider is a Long Island native and Stony Brook University alumnus. He joined Newsday as a general assignment reporter in January 2018 after 20 years at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
