The Oyster Bay-East Norwich Board of Education, joined by the district’s unions, announced its opposition on Tuesday to the state Education Department’s proposed regionalization initiative.
“This is a big deal,” said district Superintendent Francesco Ianni. “This is not just a conversation.”
The education department initiative is intended to foster district collaboration and bridge gaps in teacher recruitment, advanced course offerings, funding, and aid.
Each district would provide information to the state Education Department intended to identify strengths and weaknesses among school districts.
The education department’s website says the final regionalization plans are due by Oct. 1, 2025, and plan implementation will begin in the fall of 2026.
According to the department’s website, school districts are not required to engage in collaborative activity but are expected to contribute to regionalization conversations.
The proposal has been opposed by several school districts and elected officials.
State Assembly Member Blumencranz and state Sen. Jack Martins introduced the Our Schools, Our Rules Act to oppose the initiative.
“It’s not simply a conversation starter, but it is a regulatory mandate,” Ianni said.
“This is not just a conversation,” board President Laurie Kowalsky added.
“They’re using words like ‘compel,’ and they’re giving us a timeline [of] when we have to do certain things,” she said.
The regionalization act was issued as an emergency ruling from the state.
Emergency rulings take effect immediately following a 60-day public comment period that ends on Nov. 24.
Kowalsky said the state received 3,000 letters in opposition to the plan.
“Since they made it an emergency regulation, it immediately becomes like a law we have to follow,” said Kowalsky.
“It bypasses the approval process,” Ianni said.
Ianni said there are discrepancies in the information the state has provided.
“We are looking at the two sources, and we say ‘how come they don’t match’?” Ianni said.
Ianni said in July, the state education department provided information on reorganization incentives.
Ianni said reorganization is the act of merging or consolidating school districts to provide more resources, support, opportunities, and programming.
“It was a non-issue in July,” Ianni said.
“We were assured, in multiple presentations, that reorganization is not regionalization,” Ianni said.
Regionalization plans must be approved and submitted by the BOCES superintendent, a state official representing the region. Plans will be developed and implemented on a 10-year basis.
“A critical component of that is that the plan is developed and submitted by the BOCES superintendent,” said Trustee Mary Ann Santos.
Local officials are concerned about local control and state intervention.
“What we think is happening is that the state is running out of money,” Kowalsky said. She said the state attempted to cut the district’s foundation aid last year.
Kowalsky said the five largest school districts in the state, which includes New York City, Buffalo, Yonkers, Syracuse and Rochester, do not have to participate.
Participation is mandatory for all Nassau County school districts.
Board of education members had concerns about the implications of the mandate.
“Does this mean we would have to reduce the number of teachers and share with other districts?” Kowalsky asked.
Kowalsky questioned whether there would be a consolidation of school athletic departments, administrators and staff.
“It could be anything,” she said.
The Oyster Bay-East Norwich district released a joint statement with Locust Valley, Cold Spring Harbor and Massepequea schools in opposition to the plan.
Attorney Nicholas Rigano said the state’s order violates the New York State Constitution and education laws.
In the statement, Rigano said the plan “would stretch the Education Department’s legislative delegation.”
“Through regionalization, the Education Department will necessarily blur district lines and intrude on each of these aspects of communities for which it has no legislative delegation to do so,” Rigano said.
The initiative violates Education Law 3202, among others, Rigano said.
“Fundamentally, regionalization will allow non-resident students to attend school or use the facilities/resources of districts,” Rigano said. “The apparent intention of the Education Department is to have the authority to ‘equitably’ allow non-resident students to use school facilities without paying tuition.”
Members from the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Teacher’s Association and Administrators Association support the district’s opposition.
“I am here in support of your opposition,” said Anthony Caputo, the union president representing the district’s teacher’s association.
Caputo said he has been teaching in the district for 29 years.
He said he is concerned about the loss of control that the regionalization plan poses.
“Regionalization itself,” he said. “The word is inherent with loss of local control.”
Caputo said he is concerned about his local taxes as well.
“And as a taxpayer, my local taxes should go to my local school,” Caputo said.
“I think regionalization might mean taking away money from my local taxes to be distributed,” he said.
High school principal Melissa Argaman spoke in support of the board as well.
“I am speaking tonight on behalf of the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Administrator’s Union,” Argaman said.
“We want to express our unwavering support for Dr. Ianni and the entire board of education in their opposition of the New York State regionalization plans,” she said.
Argaman has worked for the district since 2021 and is currently in her second year as principal at the high school.
“We firmly believe that these plans are not in the best interest of our students or our community,” Argaman said.
Ianni said the school posted information about the plan to the school’s website and will continue to update.
“We want to keep the community informed,” Ianni said.
The board of education said residents can submit letters of opposition until Nov. 24, when the public comment period concludes.
“The more we work together for our students, the better it will be for the district,” he said.
