CAZENOVIA — Cazenovia Central School District (CCSD) is presenting a series of town halls to inform the public about its merger exploration process with Morrisville-Eaton School District.
The CCSD Board of Education passed a resolution in September 2024 authorizing Superintendent Christopher DiFulvio to pursue a joint comprehensive merger study with Morrisville-Eaton — including the engagement of appropriate consultants, collection and analysis of relevant data, and collaboration with stakeholders from both districts.
Morrisville-Eaton, which initially approached Cazenovia about the possibility of a merger, also passed a resolution in the summer of 2024 to conduct a merger study with CCSD.
The resolution adopted by CCSD explains that the district is committed to exploring all avenues that may improve educational opportunities and outcomes for its students. It also states that the BOE recognizes the potential benefits of a merger, including enhanced academic programs, increased extracurricular opportunities, and potential cost savings.
“[The] board has received a recommendation from the superintendent of schools, Christopher DiFulvio, to explore the feasibility of a merger with the Morrisville-Eaton School District; and [it] is in the best interest of the Cazenovia community to fully understand the potential impacts, both positive and negative, of such a merger,” the resolution states.
The comprehensive study will gather information on a merger’s potential benefits and challenges. It will consider the possible impacts on administrative staffing and board structure, transportation, food service, instructional programming and BOCES use, scheduling, extracurricular activities, building use, tax rates, potential savings, costs, etc.
According to the district, the feasibility study is an exploratory phase; a resolution to study a merger does not guarantee that a merger will occur.
CCSD and Morrisville-Eaton recently worked with the OCM BOCES Grant Writing Service to prepare an application for a NYS Department of State grant to support the merger study.
The CCSD and Morrisville-Eaton merger study would be eligible to receive up to $40,000, as the state will award up to $100,000 to support merger studies, with a maximum of $20,000 per participating school district. The deadline for submitting the grant application was Jan. 24, 2025.
The first merger study town hall will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 6 p.m. at the Nelson Town Offices. Additional town halls are scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. at the Fenner Town Offices, Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 6 p.m. in the New Woodstock Library Children’s Room, and Thursday, Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. in the Cazenovia Public Library Community Room.
According to a Jan. 20 CCSD message to the community, the town halls will allow the public to understand the factors that have led to the consideration of a merger, learn about the next steps in the merger exploration process, and gain insights into what a merger may look like if the communities choose to proceed.
“We understand that this is a significant topic with important implications for our community,” DiFulvio said in the message. “These meetings aim to provide open and transparent communication, allowing you to ask questions and share your perspectives. . . . We encourage all community members to attend a meeting that is convenient for them. Your input and participation are invaluable as we explore this important decision.”
A merger FAQ and other information about the merger exploration process are posted on CCSD’s “Merger-Reorganization Information” webpage. Additional questions and answers will be added after the town halls.
BOE meetings are open to the public, and community members are encouraged to attend. Meeting dates are listed on the district website and the school calendar. For more information, visit cazenoviacsd.com/board. To contact the entire board, email [email protected].
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