Governor Cuomo Signs Bill Allowing Tuckahoe School to Consolidate with Southampton Schools

Photo: Flickr Creative Commons/frankjuarez

In Albany Tuesday, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed a bill that, if ratified by voters, would eliminate the Tuckahoe Common School District and reduce the property taxes of residents of the Town of Southampton.

“This smart legislation,” Governor Cuomo said, and “protects property taxpayers as they consider this merger and is a testament to the communities that are working together to cut costs for their residents.” The Governor then went on to thank the legislative efforts and cooperation of State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle and Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele.

In the event of the dissolution of the Tuckahoe Common School District, the newly-merged Southampton Union Free School District would be authorized to establish a reserve fund for tax reduction purposes using $9 million in capital monies that Southampton currently has in reserve to construct a planned administration building, which would no longer be needed if consolidation is ratified by the voters. The reserve fund would then be used to maintain the Southampton School District’s estimated tax rate that was in place prior to the merger, allowing the district to avoid a significant increase in property taxes for Southampton residents. The Southampton School District would be required to annually provide a detailed report of the condition of the fund.

Senator Kenneth P. Lavalle, a sponsor of the consolidation bill, said, “We should be doing all we can to help school districts reorganize so that they can help improve the quality of education and do so at the least possible cost.”

Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr., also a sponsor of the bill, said, “This legislation, together with the Governor’s recently enacted (1) tax freeze initiative and (2) ten year tax phase-in for school mergers, will insure that local decision makers in Southampton and Tuckahoe can evaluate the benefit of this proposed school merger based on what is best for education of our children. This legislation insures that the merger can reduce overall school expenditures for the districts without increasing school taxes for anyone. Ultimately, the decision whether the Southampton and Tuckahoe school districts should merge is one to be made by the local school boards and resident taxpayers. We have given them the tools they requested to maximize the financial benefits of a merger.” Thiele went on to commend the Governor for approving the legislation allowing the schools to consolidate and save taxpayer funds.

Tuckahoe Common School District is comprised of one school building that educates students from pre-K to eighth grade, and most students from Tuckahoe who advance to the high school level are sent to the Southampton Union Free School District by way of a tuition agreement. However, the arrangement is becoming increasingly costly for Tuckahoe. As a means of addressing the fiscal concerns of the districts while at the same time, continuing to provide a quality educational program for all of the students, the districts commissioned a study to determine if reorganization could provide enhanced opportunities for both the districts and the students.

The study, “Reorganization Feasibility Study on Behalf of Southampton UFSD and Tuckahoe Common SD”, was released in July 2013 and can be read here.

The study found that in the event of a merger, no new buildings or major renovations would be necessary. Many students already know each other though the community, sports, scouts and the local youth center. The study estimated a budget for the combined district of $71.5 million, with a significantly lower total tax levy when compared to the tax levy for the two stand-alone districts.

The 2014 State budget allows merging or reorganizing school districts to opt for a gradual phase-in of different effective tax rates. If the school districts so choose, the tax rates in the first year are frozen at existing levels, and any changes in subsequent years are phased in gradually, for a full period of up to ten years.

This law passed both houses of the legislature as S7133A and A9461A, respectively.