At the PTO meeting, I offered to put statements about the merger on this blog (pro or con). Here's a statement by Ellen Larson. update: Also published at Radio Free Hamilton.
Get out and Vote
re: Hamilton Central and Morrisville Eaton School District Merger
Tuesday December 10, 2013, 10AM - 8 PM
Hamilton Central Bus Garage (for the Hamilton Community)
ER Andrews Elementary School (for the Morrisville Eaton Coummunity)
To keep it simple, my vote is NO to the merger but the important thing is that both communities get out and make EDUCATED decisions and vote for what is right for you and your community.
Understand what you ARE voting for:
You are voting on whether or not to merge the Morrisville Eaton and Hamilton school districts into one unified district.
That is all you are voting for.
All of the other discussions, benefits, risks, and "road maps" are all just theories.
If both communities vote yes to the merger, there will be another binding vote before this moves on. If both communities vote yes in the binding vote then the next step is to elect a new school board. Part of the binding election would be for the communities to vote on how many members the new school board would include (I believe the options are 5,7, or 9). Election of the new school board would be based simply on what participants get the most votes. There is no way to allocate 1/2 from each community. The estimate is that the new school board would be elected around Feb. 28, 2014 and the students would start in the new merged district September of 2014.
Understand what you are NOT voting for:
You are NOT voting for the plan that was proposed by the SES consultants. That is simply a suggestion. The new school board can do anything.
You are NOT voting to keep elementary schools in their respective communities. That is also a suggestion (and everyone agrees it's a priority right now). Many previously merged districts start with that as a priority but in less than 5 years eventually one or both districts lose their home elementary schools.
You are NOT voting for decreased taxes. The SES consultants did suggest that some of the incentive aid money be put towards decreasing taxes. Again, the new school board gets to decide how to spend that money and there is no guarantee that it will be put towards decreasing taxes. From most of the data I have seen from other districts who have merged in the past, even if there were tax reductions initially, after just a few years taxes were back up and higher than where they started.
So from here on out this is simply my opinion. I ask that you respect that. I am a parent. If I don't fight for what I feel is right or best for my children no one else is going to. I respect that there are many others out there with other opinions. Please respond, comment, discuss, whatever... but I request that we all respect that we have different opinions- not right or wrong just different.
Also, note that money is not mentioned in any of the discussion below. My sincere opinion is that considering this merger a panacea to solve our financial woes is a mistake. I honestly feel that even if we go ahead with this merger, and take this incentive aid money, that in 5-10 years we are going to be right back where we are- trying to creatively solve our financial problems. As a result I am choosing to make my decision and vote about this merger based on what's best for kids, not on the finances. By the way, finances is the only thing the SES merger study looked at... there was nothing in this merger study about outcomes for kids.
What do I see that my kids/district/community have to gain from this merger:
A theoretical increase in opportunities. It appears that the general assumption in education is that more kids means more opportunities. Right now we can't offer class Z because there aren't enough kids who want to take it. If we double the number of students we will now have enough to offer class Z. The same analogy applies to sports. Again, this is theoretical. There is nothing even in the SES proposal that shows any increase in opportunities for the Hamilton school district either academically or extracurricularly. This also assumes that just because there are more kids that more of them are going to want to access class Z.
A theoretical increase in diversity and social opportunities.
What do I see that my kids/district/community have to lose from this merger:
The little school that I love.
You can call this an emotional argument but I'm not sure there's anything wrong with that, especially if it's balanced with the other information. I am very proud of the school that my children attend. I am very invested in the school that my children attend. I spend a lot of time in the school that my children attend. This is a nurturing, personalized, caring environment. When I enter the school the school faculty and staff know who I am, they know which kids belong to me, and I know who they are and if appropriate which kids belong to them. When my child was struggling academically the teacher stopped us in the hall and started the conversation- no email, no phone tag. This is all part of a small school. I will not be able to be a presence in the school in a merged district the way I can be now simply because of geography. That is a loss for my children, for myself, and for the extracurricular programs that I help to support by volunteering my time (boy does that sound conceited but it's true- and not just because of me- if there aren't parent volunteers, a lot of things our school community values cannot happen).
My kids walking to school.
I value my children's ability to walk or bike to school. Because they have been raised in this community, my children walk/bike everywhere. They walk/bike to school- often with a cello or french horn (or both) in tow. If they go to a friends house in the village, they walk/bike (there's no argument, there's no discussion, they just do it). If they go to the public library or a piano lesson or a dance lesson they walk/bike. Often they are walking or biking with a friend. In a world of screens, electronics, and instant gratification I really value this about this community. This also gives them a level of independence and responsibility in a safe setting and provides an age appropriate opportunity for socialization (watching a group of children walk or bike together is a totally different experience than watching a group of children on a bus- often with heads down playing with iPods, phones, or some other form electronic entertainment).
Knowing my kids teachers and them knowing me.
See the above discussion about the little school that I love.
Being able to be a presence in the school.
See the above discussion about the little school that I love.
Opportunities
It is proposed that this merger will increase opportunities including extracurricular activities. I am actually concerned that the kids of Hamilton may lose some extracurricular opportunities. One of the unique things about the Hamilton Central School district is that a large percentage of kids need to participate in many activities otherwise those activities don't happen. This also means that kids that might never have tried out for a play or a team or have thought to join FFA- not only try out but participate. Right now, there are no cuts (plays or music or sports). If the number of kids doubles, the numbers of slots are not going to. I'm all for competition and encouraging kids to work to be their best, but I do think there are settings where this is actually going to limit opportunities in Hamilton, not increase them.
Our sense of community
There are people who have tried to mock this statement, but I feel strongly that there is a lot of truth in this. The school is literally and figuratively in many ways a center of the community. Obviously it's where our children spend a large portion of their time. The sports activities draw in not just the families of the players but the community at large. The school plays and musicals draw in not just the families of the children on stage but the community at large. Several residents of the local nursing home attended the last school musical. It is and has been the meeting place for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts through the years. Joys Dance Studio brought grandparents from around the country to Hamilton Central School to see their children to shine on the stage. I am sure there are many other groups and organizations that consider the school their meeting place and home (I just haven't had a chance to experience them all yet.) It is a meeting place. It is a place to celebrate. It is a place to have a Halloween parade. It is a place to be proud of. It is a place for a community to rally around. I am proud of our school and think we should fight to keep the unique experience and community that we have. I think Hamilton Central School is worth fighting for!
Ellen Larson
Village of Hamilton Resident
Parent of an HCS 4th grader and an HCS 7th grader
Get out and Vote
re: Hamilton Central and Morrisville Eaton School District Merger
Tuesday December 10, 2013, 10AM - 8 PM
Hamilton Central Bus Garage (for the Hamilton Community)
ER Andrews Elementary School (for the Morrisville Eaton Coummunity)
To keep it simple, my vote is NO to the merger but the important thing is that both communities get out and make EDUCATED decisions and vote for what is right for you and your community.
Understand what you ARE voting for:
You are voting on whether or not to merge the Morrisville Eaton and Hamilton school districts into one unified district.
That is all you are voting for.
All of the other discussions, benefits, risks, and "road maps" are all just theories.
If both communities vote yes to the merger, there will be another binding vote before this moves on. If both communities vote yes in the binding vote then the next step is to elect a new school board. Part of the binding election would be for the communities to vote on how many members the new school board would include (I believe the options are 5,7, or 9). Election of the new school board would be based simply on what participants get the most votes. There is no way to allocate 1/2 from each community. The estimate is that the new school board would be elected around Feb. 28, 2014 and the students would start in the new merged district September of 2014.
Understand what you are NOT voting for:
You are NOT voting for the plan that was proposed by the SES consultants. That is simply a suggestion. The new school board can do anything.
You are NOT voting to keep elementary schools in their respective communities. That is also a suggestion (and everyone agrees it's a priority right now). Many previously merged districts start with that as a priority but in less than 5 years eventually one or both districts lose their home elementary schools.
You are NOT voting for decreased taxes. The SES consultants did suggest that some of the incentive aid money be put towards decreasing taxes. Again, the new school board gets to decide how to spend that money and there is no guarantee that it will be put towards decreasing taxes. From most of the data I have seen from other districts who have merged in the past, even if there were tax reductions initially, after just a few years taxes were back up and higher than where they started.
So from here on out this is simply my opinion. I ask that you respect that. I am a parent. If I don't fight for what I feel is right or best for my children no one else is going to. I respect that there are many others out there with other opinions. Please respond, comment, discuss, whatever... but I request that we all respect that we have different opinions- not right or wrong just different.
Also, note that money is not mentioned in any of the discussion below. My sincere opinion is that considering this merger a panacea to solve our financial woes is a mistake. I honestly feel that even if we go ahead with this merger, and take this incentive aid money, that in 5-10 years we are going to be right back where we are- trying to creatively solve our financial problems. As a result I am choosing to make my decision and vote about this merger based on what's best for kids, not on the finances. By the way, finances is the only thing the SES merger study looked at... there was nothing in this merger study about outcomes for kids.
What do I see that my kids/district/community have to gain from this merger:
A theoretical increase in opportunities. It appears that the general assumption in education is that more kids means more opportunities. Right now we can't offer class Z because there aren't enough kids who want to take it. If we double the number of students we will now have enough to offer class Z. The same analogy applies to sports. Again, this is theoretical. There is nothing even in the SES proposal that shows any increase in opportunities for the Hamilton school district either academically or extracurricularly. This also assumes that just because there are more kids that more of them are going to want to access class Z.
A theoretical increase in diversity and social opportunities.
What do I see that my kids/district/community have to lose from this merger:
The little school that I love.
You can call this an emotional argument but I'm not sure there's anything wrong with that, especially if it's balanced with the other information. I am very proud of the school that my children attend. I am very invested in the school that my children attend. I spend a lot of time in the school that my children attend. This is a nurturing, personalized, caring environment. When I enter the school the school faculty and staff know who I am, they know which kids belong to me, and I know who they are and if appropriate which kids belong to them. When my child was struggling academically the teacher stopped us in the hall and started the conversation- no email, no phone tag. This is all part of a small school. I will not be able to be a presence in the school in a merged district the way I can be now simply because of geography. That is a loss for my children, for myself, and for the extracurricular programs that I help to support by volunteering my time (boy does that sound conceited but it's true- and not just because of me- if there aren't parent volunteers, a lot of things our school community values cannot happen).
My kids walking to school.
I value my children's ability to walk or bike to school. Because they have been raised in this community, my children walk/bike everywhere. They walk/bike to school- often with a cello or french horn (or both) in tow. If they go to a friends house in the village, they walk/bike (there's no argument, there's no discussion, they just do it). If they go to the public library or a piano lesson or a dance lesson they walk/bike. Often they are walking or biking with a friend. In a world of screens, electronics, and instant gratification I really value this about this community. This also gives them a level of independence and responsibility in a safe setting and provides an age appropriate opportunity for socialization (watching a group of children walk or bike together is a totally different experience than watching a group of children on a bus- often with heads down playing with iPods, phones, or some other form electronic entertainment).
Knowing my kids teachers and them knowing me.
See the above discussion about the little school that I love.
Being able to be a presence in the school.
See the above discussion about the little school that I love.
Opportunities
It is proposed that this merger will increase opportunities including extracurricular activities. I am actually concerned that the kids of Hamilton may lose some extracurricular opportunities. One of the unique things about the Hamilton Central School district is that a large percentage of kids need to participate in many activities otherwise those activities don't happen. This also means that kids that might never have tried out for a play or a team or have thought to join FFA- not only try out but participate. Right now, there are no cuts (plays or music or sports). If the number of kids doubles, the numbers of slots are not going to. I'm all for competition and encouraging kids to work to be their best, but I do think there are settings where this is actually going to limit opportunities in Hamilton, not increase them.
Our sense of community
There are people who have tried to mock this statement, but I feel strongly that there is a lot of truth in this. The school is literally and figuratively in many ways a center of the community. Obviously it's where our children spend a large portion of their time. The sports activities draw in not just the families of the players but the community at large. The school plays and musicals draw in not just the families of the children on stage but the community at large. Several residents of the local nursing home attended the last school musical. It is and has been the meeting place for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts through the years. Joys Dance Studio brought grandparents from around the country to Hamilton Central School to see their children to shine on the stage. I am sure there are many other groups and organizations that consider the school their meeting place and home (I just haven't had a chance to experience them all yet.) It is a meeting place. It is a place to celebrate. It is a place to have a Halloween parade. It is a place to be proud of. It is a place for a community to rally around. I am proud of our school and think we should fight to keep the unique experience and community that we have. I think Hamilton Central School is worth fighting for!
Ellen Larson
Village of Hamilton Resident
Parent of an HCS 4th grader and an HCS 7th grader
Ellen, Thank you so very much for writing this long letter about why merging makes no sense. All your statements make sense to me and I hope it does to most Hamilton community members. I've spoken with a few that no longer have children in the school who plan to vote no this Tuesday. The reason for this is that these community members believe they owe it to current parents of HCS kids to vote for HCS as the current students deserve the same opportunities their kids had.
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