A 2021 Education
A 2021 Education
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The last time Schenevus and Worcester considered a merger, the year was 1996. Between an increase in unfunded mandates and a changing economy, plenty has changed since then. You can be proud of where you came from, but it is not the same place anymore. Students are different, mandates are different, times are different. Below are just a few of those differences.
Demographics
Demographics
The region and our schools have seen some demographic shifts during the past 25 years.
The towns of Worcester and Maryland are ranked among the highest areas of socioeconomic need in Otsego County. Property values in Schenevus were virtually unchanged from 2013-19; in Worcester, property values decreased slightly during the same period. This affects the tax base for the districts and their ability to fund school budgets. In the 1998-99 school year, the combined enrollment of Schenevus and Worcester central schools was more than 900 students; today, it’s less than 600.
Schenevus’ 1998-99 report card indicated that, in 1996, about 40% of students were eligible for free and reduced-price lunch — close to the same rate it was in 2018. At Worcester, in 1996, about 26% of students were eligible for free and reduced-price lunch. By 2018, that rate had nearly doubled.
Countywide, the number of students receiving special education services was steady during the period of 2005 and 2015. However, during that same period, enrollments decreased by 16.9%. Therefore, special education services were provided to a larger percentage of the entire student body by the end of that period. This impacts school budgets, since there is often a higher cost associated with providing special education services.
There has been a nationwide increase in serious psychological distress among people in the United States born between the early 1980s to the late 1990s. Specific local data on this recent trend is not available.
Education Funding
Education Funding
In 1997, New York state introduced the School Tax Relief, or STAR, program, offering homeowners a reduction in property taxes. While this program does not change the amount of funding Schenevus and Worcester received, some research has suggested that, by lowering the “cost” of public education for voters, the STAR program has negatively impacted school performance and efficiency, particularly in rural upstate districts.
In 2012, New York state introduced the tax levy limit, sometimes called the property tax cap. Under the law, school districts must get “supermajority” (60% plus one) approval to pass any budget that would increase the tax levy beyond the district’s limit. The Rockefeller Institute reported in 2020 that “Annual school property tax increases have steeply declined since the tax cap went into effect in 2012.” During the same period, education costs have generally increased.
Mandates and Accountability
Mandates and Accountability
Since 1996, school districts across New York state have faced an increasing number of state and federal mandates and accountability requirements, contributing to the workload for administrators.
In the mid-1990s, the Improving America’s Schools Act established higher accountability requirements for districts. Schenevus and Worcester issued their first “school report cards” in 2000. Since then, the school report card has grown, requiring administrators to report additional demographic data, disciplinary information, teacher qualifications, civil rights information and additional academic measures.
The No Child Left Behind act of 2000 required schools to conduct more standardized testing and report those results. The legislation also increased the educational and professional requirements for paraprofessionals, which has driven up wages for these positions.
State and federal regulations have also required schools to develop and publish numerous, lengthy and detailed plans.
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