TOWNSHIP BASED SCHOOLS: An Analysis of School District Consolidation of Long Island, N.Y. The School of Education- St. John’s University Oakdale, New York By Samuel Thompson

Purpose of the Research This researcher examined the process of school district consolidation necessary to centralize public K-12 school districts in Nassau and Suffolk County of the Long Island region of New York. The researcher proposes to analyze and validate the efficacy, efficiency, and equity of township-based school systems for both Nassau and Suffolk County.

Problem Statement 2 % Tax Cap Declining Enrollment Changing Demographics

Significance of the Study 98 school districts in the Long Island region of New York will be evaluated based on a set of five required variables for school district organization in New York State. Finance, instruction, facilities, enrollment, and demographics will be explicitly defined and organized into tables for comparative analyses and understanding.

Significance of the Study Continued The past, present, and future of these districts will be analyzed for the purpose of developing township-based school districts using strategic foresight planning processes to create a centralized model.

The following questions guide the study: How would a township based model provide an efficient model of K-12 school district organization for public school districts on Long Island? How can an analysis of the five aforementioned variables of Long Island K-12 school systems provide Strategic Foresight of what a town-based model would suggest in terms of efficiency and efficacy?

Additional Questions Additional research questions that emanate from the overarching question and shape the study include: If schools in Nassau and Suffolk County were organized by townships what would they look like in terms of the following variables: Finance Instruction Facilities Enrollment Demographics

Final Question- How can an analysis of the above variables of Long Island K-12 school systems provide Strategic Foresight of what a town-based model would suggest in terms of efficiency, efficacy, or equity?

Nassau County Schools Town of Hempstead K-12 Union Free and Central School Districts (20) BALDWINISLAND TREESROCKVILLE CENTRE EAST MEADOWLAWRENCEROOSEVELT EAST ROCKAWAYLEVITTOWNSEAFORD FREEPORTLONG BEACHUNIONDALE GARDEN CITYLYNBROOKWANTAGH HEMPSTEADMALVERNEWEST HEMPSTEAD HEWLETT-WOODMEREOCEANSIDE Town of North Hempstead K-12 Union Free and Central School Districts (10) CARLE PLACEMANHASSET SCHOOL SEWANHAKA EAST WILLISTONMINEOLAWESTBURY GREAT NECKNEW HYDE PARK/GARDEN CITY HERRICKSPORT WASHINGTON Town of Oyster Bay K-12 Union Free and Central School Districts (14) AMITYVILLEJERICHOPLAINEDGE BETHPAGELOCUST VALLEY PLAINVIEW-OLD BETHPAGE COLD SPRING HARBORMASSAPEQUAROSLYN FARMINGDALENORTH SHORESYOSSET HICKSVILLEOYSTER BAY-EAST NORWICH

Suffolk County Schools Suffolk County Schools Town of Smithtown K-12 Union Free and Central School Districts (3) HAUPPAUGEKINGS PARKSMITHTOWN Town of Huntington K-12 Union Free and Central School Districts (8) COLD SPRING HARBORHALF HOLLOW HILLS NORTHPORT-EAST NORTHPORT COMMACKHARBORFIELDSSOUTH HUNTINGTON ELWOODHUNTINGTON Town of Brookhaven K-12 Union Free and Central School Districts (14) CENTER MORICHESMOUNT SINAI SHOREHAM WADING RIVER COMSEWOGUEPATCHOGUE-MEDFORDSOUTH COUNTRY LONGWOODPORT JEFFERSONTHREE VILLAGE MIDDLE COUNTRYROCKY POINT WILLIAM FLOYD MILLER PLACESACHEM Town of Babylon K-12 Union Free and Central School Districts (7) BABYLONLINDENHURSTWYANDANCH COPIAGUENORTH BABLYON DEER PARKWEST BABYLON

Suffolk County Schools Continued Suffolk County Schools Continued Town of Islip K-12 Union Free and Central School Districts (10) BAYSHORECONNETQUOTSAYVILLE BAYPORT-BLUE POINTEAST ISLIPWEST ISLIP BRENTWOODHAUPPAUGE CENTRAL ISLIPISLIP Town of Riverhead K-12 Union Free and Central School Districts (3) HAMPTON BAYSRIVERHEADWESTHAMPTON BEACH Town of East Hampton K-12 Union Free and Central School Districts (1) HAMPTON EAST HAMPTON Town of Southampton K-12 Union Free and Central School Districts (2) BRIDGEHAMPTONSAG HARBOR Town of Southold K-12 Union Free and Central School Districts (3) GREENPORT UFSD MATTITUCK-CUTCHOGUE SOUTHOLD

Methodology Data Sources: Data Points(Hughes, 2012); N.Y.S.E.D. School Data; US Census Bureau Data Conduct two statistical analyses using comparative means and descriptive analyses to find a measure of variability between the districts in the past and present. Charts, tables, and graphs will be used to determine practical significance of the data.

Methodology Continued Means Analysis will represent township organizational structure for school districts. A Rank Order and Ratio Scales will determine the feasibility of this new model. The data findings will be related to The 5 Cs(Hughes, 2010) and Strategic Foresight to determine practical significance of the new model.