Glen Cove’s Board of Education has confirmed that the school district will be participating in the state Education Department’s regionalization discussions.
“We’re not opting out because we don’t see any downside,” said Superintendent Maria Rianna at a Jan. 22 meeting.
The district will participate in regionalization discussions, but will not be expected to implement a plan.
The state Education Department raised concerns with local districts over the beginning stages of its Regionalization Initiative last fall. The initiative aims to bridge regional gaps through shared resources, according to the state website.
Officials were concerned by the time frame and language used in the state’s initial ruling, saying the mandate would undermine local control. The state requested preliminary materials assessing district needs and said the state could “compel” participation.
In response to pushback during the comment period, the state clarified that the initiative is optional for school districts. Glen Cove’s neighboring districts, such as Oyster Bay-East Norwich and Locust Valley, have opted out.
In a conversation with the Record-Pilot local paper, Rianna said the initiative is “not a matter of giving away our rights as districts” and may enhance student opportunity within the district.
“Our shared services with other districts have benefitted Glen Cove in the past, and hopefully we will expand those opportunities for our students,” Rianna said at the board meeting.
Rianna said the district currently shares resources with surrounding schools for transportation, such as busing, as well as athletic programs. For example, the high school’s boys and girls swim team is shared with Locust Valley and Carle Place. She said these shared resources offer students opportunities that the district may not be able to provide by itself.
Rianna said the state has assured the district that they are not obligated to implement a regionalization plan. She said the district will hold the state accountable to its promises.
