SHERMAN — For the second time in three years, Sherman Central School District will dramatically reduce its tuition rate for out of district students.

Board of Education members voted at their regular meeting on March 18 to establish a three-year tuition rate schedule.

Tuition for out of district residents will be $100 per year for the first child and $50 for each sibling, beginning next school year.

In the 2020-2021 school year, the tuition rate will be $125 for the first student, and $50 for each sibling.

And in the final year of the schedule, the tuition rate will be $150 for the first child and $50 for each sibling.

In June of 2016, the district announced it intention to lower the tuition for out-of-district students to $570 for the first year, $585 for the second year, and $600 for the third.

This was a reduction from a tuition rate of more than $4,000. Those rates expire at the end of this academic year.

Sherman Superintendent Michael Ginestre told board members that the lower tuition has been a great success over the past three years.

The district has enrolled 27 new students from out of the district.

“It’s been very beneficial to the district for foundation aid and for filling programs,” Ginestre said.

“It has truly been a win-win for the district. Not only have programs been saved and enhanced, but our taxpayers have benefitted, as well. Our tax rate is the lowest it has been in eight years.”

However, Ginestre said, in speaking with many parents during the past year, he has found that many families still struggle with the $600 rate.

Therefore, he proposed lowering the rate even further and adding a for additional students from the same family.

“Tuitioning really fits into the overall vision of Sherman Central School,” Ginestre said. “We want to do a three-year agreement for tuitioning, with an emphasis on families.”

Ginestre noted that many parents were concerned that the out of district tuition rate might increase after the initial three years had expired, but instead there will be a significant reduction.

Not only is the tuition going down further, Ginestre said, but the district intends for the rate to remain low.

“We want families to know that we are not going back up to $600,” Ginestre said. “We believe that having additional students in Sherman benefits everyone.”

Ginestre said that the district has the ability to take on more students without an increase in staff.

He noted that 52 students will graduate this year, “which is the biggest class we have had in my eight years here at Sherman.”

In 2020, however, there are only 31 students scheduled to graduate. Which is slightly below average, he said. “So, we have a lot of room.”

Ginestre said that lowering the tuition rate has actually helped the district improve the quality of its education.

“We have an outstanding faculty and staff at Sherman and a review of our achievement record confirms this. Students that attend Sherman will receive an outstanding education that is on par with any in western New York, and at the same time, benefit from the dedication our staff has to the social and emotional well-being of all students,” he said.

Ginestre said that lowering the tuition rate can only help everyone involved.

Our staff . . . is equipped to handle additional students without adding to our current levels,” Ginestre said.

“Combine this, with the fact that we are saving programming and adding additional state aid, and it is truly a win-win for Sherman.”