State Sen. Jack Martins, R-Mineola, stands next to the podium as state Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick speaks during a rally in Nassau County recently in opposition of mandated school regionalization plans pushed by the state Board of Regents.

At least one member of the state Senate is pushing back against a plan by the state Board of Regents to require school districts to submit regionalization plans.

State Sen. Jack Martins, R-Mineola, has introduced the “Our Schools, Our Rules Act” (S.9944) that would block any state-mandated regionalization policies or plans as proposed by the state Board of Regents or state Education Department.

“Forcing districts to consolidate operations or share resources undermines the unique strengths and needs of individual communities, particularly those with successful school systems,” Martins wrote in his legislative justification. “Regionalization may dilute the quality of education by imposing one-size-fits-all mandates, disrupt established district operations, and lead to higher administrative costs without clear benefits to students or taxpayers.”

The amendment proposed by the state creates a new section of state Education Commissioner’s recommendations regarding BOCES and a separate subsection for regionalization plans. Each school district that is part of a BOCES district will work with the BOCES superintendent to develop and implement a regionalization plan at least every 10 years. Plans have to include initiatives to increase learning opportunities and operational efficiency for local school districts.

School districts first have to create a list of strengths and weaknesses and submit that to the state Education Department. Once those documents are in, the BOCES superintendent will begin meeting with school districts and stakeholders. A progress report is due to the state Education Department by April 1 while the full regionalization plan is due by Oct. 1, 2025. State officials expect changes identified in the regionalization plan to begin taking place no later than the 2026-27 school year. Plans will be updated every 10 years.

State Education Department officials say budget limitations make it difficult for schools to keep or expand course offerings. Among the reasons cited in the memorandum discussed by the Regents this week was Gov. Kathy Hochul’s flirtation with removing the same harmless provisions in the Foundation Aid state aid formula that the Board of Regents says underscores financial uncertainty for many districts.

Lastly, state officials say more regionalization is needed as the state Education Department develops recommendations for the Board of Regents regarding new statewide graduation measures.

“Regionalization can help solve these challenges, creating equitable educational opportunities through partnerships among school districts, Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), and other stakeholders,” states a memo to the Regents by Jeffrey Matteson, state Education Department senior deputy commissioner for education policy. “This model focuses on shared or “pooled” resources, such as utilizing shared staff, extracurricular programs, and support services to provide students with broader educational opportunities. It also encourages partnerships with regional businesses and other school districts to enhance curriculum and student experiences, which will help meet the demands of new graduation measures.”

Martins disagrees, saying Long Island schools have invested heavily in their school districts and deserve to have a say in how they are governed. He said his bill will ensure local schools retain their autonomy and prevents any top-down mandates that could interfere with the quality of education or the efficient operation of local school systems. He prefers voluntary cooperation between school districts rather than having cooperation forced.

“This bill preserves the time-honored principle that local communities – not bureaucrats in Albany – know best how to serve their students,” Martins said.