Annexation Merger Study

In July 2019, the Schenevus and Worcester boards of education heard a presentation from Castallo & Silky Educational Consultants LLC about the merger process. Later in 2019, Schenevus Central School applied for, and received, a $25,000 grant to offset the $50,000 cost, with a commitment to pursue a merger study if Worcester agreed. In February 2020, the Worcester Board of Education voted to enter into a merger study with Schenevus.

A merger study committee was created from residents of both school districts. The committee met monthly with representatives of Castallo & Silky over the period of April through November 2020. In early 2021, the merger study report was approved by the state and presented to the Boards of Education. That document is provided below.

What is a merger study?

A merger study is one of the required steps that districts must undertake before they can merge. The state requires that the districts must specify what type of merger is being studied (an annexation or a centralization) and then conduct a study to research factors such as attendance, academic achievement, building use, transportation and more.

Read more: Why did Schenevus and Worcester choose annexation?

The study is non-binding and it is prepared by a neutral party. The study does not make recommendations about whether districts should or should not merge, but it does describe what a merged district might look like in terms of its structure, finances and capacity. The study can provide a "road map" for a merged district, but district leaders are under no obligation to follow that "map."