His commentary left questions in my mind. How much money would be saved by the consolidation of the Trumansburg schools with the South Seneca school district? We don’t know yet. How much money would be saved by the elimination of football programs in the Trumansburg schools? We don’t know that either – the football program isn’t identified as a separate item in the budget.

Without definite numbers, we’re left to consider more abstractly about our community’s priorities. Which would you prefer to sacrifice first, Trumansburg’s Blue Raiders football program or the identity of our school district as distinct from South Seneca?

What would Trumansburg Central Schools get out of this deal? We’re told that there’s a “push” from the state government for school districts to consolidate, but is this pressure merely a negative push, or is the state willing to offer additional resources to consolidated districts? That’s not yet clear, and state promises are notoriously unreliable.

One political issue to consider is that southern Seneca County residents tend to be less supportive of paying high property taxes for good schools than residents of the current Trumansburg Central School District are. Consolidate the districts, and we’ll have a consolidated school board as well, and consolidated voting on school budgets. So, even if there are initial savings on redundant school services, Trumansburg schools could quickly see less money, due to the increased influence of anti-tax voters from the northern part of the new district.

South Seneca has a higher per-pupil spending rate, but that may be because many more students in that school district, compared to Trumansburg, have special needs and qualify for educational assistance such as free lunches. Poverty is much more widespread in the South Seneca district than it is here.

Fewer students graduate from South Seneca schools than Trumansburg schools. South Seneca schools, on the other hand, have smaller class sizes, and teachers who tend to be more educated and more experienced than what we have in Trumansburg.

In spite of those advantages, Trumansburg students have better academic achievement. Compare the following test scores from 2009:

On the U.S. History and Government regents exam, Trumansburg had a 96 percent rate of passage. South Seneca had an 86 percent rate of passage.

On the Integrated Algebra exam, Trumansburg had a 76 percent rate of passage. South Seneca had a 61 percent rate of passage.

South Seneca students outperformed our students on the Physics exam, 91 percent to 81 percent, but were far behind on Earth Science, 97 percent to 67 percent.

Trumansburg students showed more mathematical aptitude on the Mathematics B regents exam, with a 68 percent passage rate, compared to South Seneca’s 51 percent passage rate (Mathematics A exam data from South Seneca was not available for comparison).

You can make other comparisons through the Trumansburg profile and the South Seneca profile from GreatSchools.org.

What’s to be gained? What’s to be lost? What’s your opinion?

This Saturday (March 6), there will be a public forum held in the auditorium of the Trumansburg High School from 10:00 AM until Noon. It’s a regional forum, so people from an area ranging from the South Seneca School District to Dryden will be attending. It’s an opportunity for people to speak out in protest of Paterson’s proposed budget cuts to the state education budget.

If you can, please attend.

My son is going into the third grade this year, and the need to get him to and from school every day was a cause of concern for our family, considering that he has a little brother and sister, and I am often working out of town. Taking my son to school in a cold rain or frigid winter day would mean taking his two year-old brother out in those conditions as well. Many other families have to deal with similar challenges.

We could drive our son to school in relative comfort, it’s true, but if every family does that every day, it creates a nasty traffic situation, and the waste of a great deal of fuel as well. School buses are safer, and more efficient, for our community.

642 people voted on the budget, with 453 voting in favor and 189 voting against. There were 2.4 votes in favor for every vote against.

639 people voted on the proposition to purchase school buses, with 445 voting in favor and 194 voting against. There were 2.3 votes in favor for every vote against.

617 people voted on the proposition to purchase instructional computer equipment, with 446 voting in favor and 171 voting against. There were 2.6 votes in favor for every vote against.

609 people voted on the proposition to create a position for an high school student to be a non-voting member of the school board, with 457 voting in favor and 152 voting against. There were 3 votes in favor for every vote against.

At 478, Douglas Land received more votes than Jeffrey Williams, who received 446. Both school board incumbents were re-seated, however, given that they had no opponents.

However, we do have the chance to vote on the school budget, which is lower than last year’s budget. There are also three propositions on the ballot today: One for spending on school buses, one for spending on computers, and another to create a position for a student representative on the school board.

Polling booths are set up at the Ulysses Historical Society.

Update: The budget passed, and all propositions passed as well.

It runs like this: So and so heard from somebody else that someone else’s uncle was listening to the police scanner, and overheard that the police had found a bomb on the playground of the Trumansburg schools.

I don’t know if it’s true. I know I haven’t heard any sirens. I know that when I’ve gone past the schools this evening, I haven’t seen any sign of any police cars there, or even anyone watching the grounds just in case.

Maybe it’s true. I’m inclined to believe that it’s not.

An article published just 4 minutes ago by News 10 Now doesn’t mention anything about a bomb on the playground.

I think our village has gotten a little bit rumor-happy in relation to this incident. We’re getting skittish, all over a slightly enhanced firecracker.

If I were a middle-school prankster, that’s exactly the reaction I’d be hoping for.

Let’s not provide this prankster with further reward. Let’s remain calm, and not see a bomb in every shadow on the ground.

Update: Over at Channel 36, they’re quoting a parent as saying “It would be nice if they set up surveillance cameras on a regular basis.”

I, for one, do not want my children learning that they need to have authorities spying on them with video cameras, even when they go to the bathroom, in order to be safe. I don’t want them learning that one child who makes an intimidating display can diminish the freedom of everyone else in our community.

The TCSDF is not the same thing as the Trumansburg Central School District. TCSDF does not administer the schools, but exists as a separate non-profit organization with the mission of supporting education in the Trumansburg Schools. Think of it as an educational boosters group. They offer grants to teachers and administrators and work through a New Technology Initiatives to support the best use of technology in the classrooms.

There is already an impressive collection of people behind the Trumansburg Central School District Foundation, but the group is by no means closed. The Foundation is looking for people to help them in their work, by volunteering, through donations, and by spreading the word about the work of the Foundation.