Schenevus School Board Opts For Tuitioning-Out

Following a big blow with $150,000 in state aid not coming through for Schenevus Central School, a district in dire financial straits, Schenevus had its school board vote last night on tuitioning-out middle and high school students to the Worcester school district in the 2019-2020 school year.  The board made a unanimous decision to begin talks with the Worcester school district to discuss that possibility.

According to AllOTSEGO, Schenevus did just get some financial help by receiving a $180,000 refund from BOCES which helps fund the district through this year. Next year's funding is a different story according to Schenevus Superintendent Theresa Carlin who said, “We don’t know if we’ll be able to function next year. There is no indication that we will see additional state aid.”

In addition, a merger study grant is not guaranteed and a merger is a lengthy process. While the district waits to see what happens regarding a merger, the Schenevus board has decided that tuitioning-out could save the district as much as $1million which could be used for future funding. The plan would keep Pre-K through 5th grade students in Schenevus and allow the district to enrich the program and offer an after-school program.

With the resolution passed, the next step is for Worcester to determine if tuitioning-out is a viable option for them. A vote is expected in January on whether or not tuitioning-out will take place for both schools.

For more on this story provided in partnership with AllOTSEGO, click here.