What's happening
This bill requires all school districts in New York State to participate in county-wide shared services panels to promote cooperation and efficiency.
Why it matters
Mandates active participation. The bill requires every school district to actively join their respective county-wide shared services panels, not just allowing them to opt in, which could increase collaboration and coordination across municipal boundaries.
Potential for cost savings. By mandating shared services, school districts may be able to reduce redundant administrative functions and pool resources, potentially resulting in lower costs for taxpayers and more efficient use of public funds.
Streamlines approval process. The bill specifically allows school districts to enter into cooperative agreements through these panels without requiring approval from the state education department, which could accelerate the implementation of joint projects and services.
Expands scope for shared services. The law clarifies and broadens the range of entities (cities, towns, fire districts, etc.) with which school districts can collaborate, potentially fostering innovative service delivery models and improved public services.
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Who cares
School districts
Each district would have to join the county-wide shared services panel in every county where it is located, while participation in panel activities would remain optional.
Counties and municipal shared-services partners
Mandatory school district membership would bring districts onto panels where participating local governments and districts can pursue cooperative agreements.
State Education Department
School districts would retain permission to create and execute qualifying cooperative agreements through panel activities without the department’s opinion or approval.
Boards of cooperative educational services
BOCES would remain eligible to join panels voluntarily, unlike school districts, which would be required to join.
Headline styles
Require School Districts to Collaborate
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to local governments
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
10808
IN ASSEMBLY
May 18, 2018
Introduced by M. of A. BYRNE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Local Governments
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to requiring school districts to be part of county-wide shared services panels
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 4 of section 119-o of the general municipal law, as added by section 2 of part EE of chapter 55 of the laws of 2018, is amended and a new subdivision 5 is added to read as follows:
4. Any [school district or] board of cooperative educational services may join a panel established pursuant to article twelve-I of this chapter, and may further participate in any of the activities of such panel, with any participating county, town, city, village, fire district, fire protection district, or special improvement district participating in such panels. For cooperative agreements which involve functions, services, or provisions permitted by this section, [school districts and] boards of cooperative educational services shall be permitted to create and execute such agreements, when a part of the activity of such panel, without opinion or approval of the state education department.
5. Each school district shall join each county-wide shared services panel established pursuant to article twelve-I of this chapter for each county in which their district is located, and may further participate in any of the activities of such panel, with any participating county, town, city, village, fire district, fire protection district, or special improvement district participating in such panels. For cooperative agreements which involve functions, services, or provisions permitted by this section, school districts shall be permitted to create and execute such agreements, when a part of the activity of such panel, without opinion or approval of the state education department.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15594-01-8
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.