A statewide fiscal crisis and a historic curtailing of education aid is forcing school districts in Niagara County to do more with less. This conundrum is placing superintendents on the hot seat as they attempt to lower capital costs, maintain high-level student programs, all while appeasing the tax payer.
With many school administrators and policy makers looking for a working solution, school district consolidation is a much debated option.
The 10 Niagara County school districts cost taxpayers more than $516 million dollars annually, a figure which could be cut exponentially if schools are willing to share business and purchasing offices, transportation costs or curriculum related services, said Lewiston-Porter School District Superintendent R. Christopher Roser.
“I think what’s going to happen probably sooner rather than later is we are going to have a centralized school district for a county, or for a BOCES region,” Roser said. “Ultimately that is where we are going to head, because then the majority of services will become centralized.”…
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