By Joyce Kryszak
Cheektowaga, NY – Eagles, and Horses, and Bears - oh my. And those are only three of the cherished mascots representing Cheektowaga town schools. Throw in Cheektowaga Central's Warriors and it's easy to see why the yellow brick road to consolidating the four districts is fraught with obstacles. But consolidation has finally made its way onto the agenda of Tuesday night's joint school boards' meeting in Cheektowaga.
Consolidation remains a touchy subject among schools. Cheektowaga's four districts, each with its own identity and traditions, are no exception. But many, including top county officials, believe Cheektowaga is the poster child for consolidation. It encompasses four relatively small districts -- Cheektowaga Central, Cheektowaga-Sloan, Maryvale and Cleveland Hill. Each has its own mascot. But each also has its own highly paid superintendent and administrative staffs.
Two studies done about a decade ago showed no real savings from a merger. Cheektowaga-Sloan School Board President Edward Bednarczyk pushed to have the four districts revisit the issue. He says its time for a rational discussion.
"We need to operate with facts in hand, rather than just going with a sense or an idea of what might happen with a merger," said Bednarczyk. We need to be able to look at the numbers, look at the staffing, look at the projected enrollment in the districts, look at the services, look at the reporting -- take an overall look across the town -- and see if merging will accomplish that goal, or at least if the projections would make it appear it would accomplish that goal.
"If it wouldn't, then one asks the question, what end does it serve, other than going through the act of just merging districts, if there's no direct benefit to the districts involved?"
State education officials will present board members with information on the logistics of a consolidation. But Bednarczyk says providing the school boards with convincing numbers is only part of the process. He says residents would then have to be convinced and approve a referendum seeking a consolidation.