BILL NUMBER: S9183B
SPONSOR: PALUMBO
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act in relation to authorizing the trustees of the Tuckahoe Common
School District, county of Suffolk, to submit a proposition to the qual-
ified voters of such district to reorganize such school district as a
union free school district; and providing for the repeal of such
provisions upon expiration thereof
 
PURPOSE:
To propose that the Tuckahoe Common School District be reorganized as a
union free school district.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Provides that the trustees of the Tuckahoe Common School
District, may, upon its own motion, cause to be submitted at an annual
or special meeting, a proposition to reorganize such school district as
a union free school district to be known as the Tuckahoe-Shinnecock
Union Free School District.
Section 2. No such proposal shall be approved by the trustees until a
feasibility study on the reorganization is conducted and approved by the
Board of Trustees. It provides minimum parameters for the feasibility
study to include a) current and projected student enrollments b) current
and projected professional staffing plan c) a plan for educational
programs and curricula in the proposed district d) a plan for transpor-
tation in the proposed district and e) the fiscal implications of the
reorganization including changes in state aid, expenditures, and local
tax effort.
Section 3. Upon the approval of the proposition by the qualified voters
of the Tuckahoe Common School district, the Commissioner of Education
shall issue an order establishing the Union Free School District. Such
order shall specify the effective date of the order, which shall not be
later than 60 days after the approval of the proposition.
Section 4. Provides for an immediate effective date and be deemed
repealed June 30th, 2026.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
This legislation was introduced at the request of the trustees of the
Tuckahoe Common School District which currently educates students from
kindergarten to 8th grade but is interested in the feasibility of
expanding enrollment to grades 9-12 and operate a high school. To do so,
they must reorganize as a union free school district because current law
does not give this authority to common school districts.
Under the provision of this legislation, the Tuckahoe Common School
District would be authorized to submit a proposition to the qualified
electors of the school district to reorganize as a union free school
district that would be known as the Tuckahoe-Shinnecock Union Free
School District. It sets forth the minimum parameters for a feasibility
study that must be conducted and approved by the Board of Trustees
before it can be placed on the ballot for the school district voters'
consideration.
Once the proposition is passed by the trustees and ultimately approved
by the voters, the Commissioner of Education shall issue an order to
specify the effective date of the reorganization (which shall not be
later than 60 days after the approval of the proposition) thereby allow-
ing the newly established Tuckahoe- Shinnecock Union Free School
District to move forward in making the necessary accommodations to
enroll high school aged students.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
TBD
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately