Beyond Core Courses: Other Classroom Advantages for Students

As noted in an earlier post on core courses, the most important part of the whole merger discussion is the students, and the increased opportunities that they will have in a merged district. The earlier post pointed out how among the core courses (meaning courses in either English, Math, Science or Social Studies) students in the current districts could see between 20 and 40 new course offerings to them when the districts merge. Of course it's NOT just about improvements and increases in the four main subjects one typically thinks of when you attend school. It's also about things like music, and the arts, as well as technology and languages.

Below are several graphics that show the potential increase in course offerings in these areas that students will also have once the districts merge. Many of these are from programs that have been cut or reduced. They now stand to be resurrected when the districts unite and pool their resources more efficiently and effectively.

Click on any of the graphics to see how current students in Herkimer, Ilion and Mohawk will fare in new course offerings in these academic areas.

Number of New Language Courses

Number of New Music and Art Courses

Number of New Technology Courses

QUESTION: How will the New District Look Administratively and Will it Cost More ?

How will the new district look administratively ? And will the cost of the administrative positions be higher in the merged district ?



Some people have wondered if the administrative positions will balloon in the merged district and take up more of the budget. The study doesn't propose this at all.Currently the average cost of an administrative position in the three districts combined is about $124,500. This is the current average salary for certified administrators for the school buildings and certified administrators with central district-wide responsibilities.

Presently there are 16.5 such positions in three districts. In the merged district the study proposes 1.5 fewer certified administrative positions for a total of 15 in the new configurations. Based on the average salary of those positions this represents a savings of nearly $190,000 for the district taxpayers !

So the new district will be smaller administratively, and cost less.

If you have other questions about the study please let us know !

QUESTION: How Will My School Taxes Change When the Three Districts Merge?

 How will school taxes be impacted by the merge of the three districts?




Tax levies are a difficult thing to sometimes understand. Probably the easiest way to think about them is talking about how much you would pay in taxes on a house worth $100,000 depending on which district you presently live in. We can then compare that to how much you would pay for the same house in a merged district.

According to the analysis of the study, if you presently live in the Herkimer School District you pay about $2051 in school taxes on a home worth $100,000. Homeowners in the Mohawk School District pay about $2108 for that same house in school taxes. Ilion homeowners pay about $1732 in school taxes for a house valued at $100,000.

In a merged district, the proposed budget has been structured to take advantage of the $59 million in new incentive aid and help keep property taxes under control. Given that the Ilion District has the lowest tax rates, the basic levy of the new district would be such that all taxpayers would pay no more than what Ilion District residents presently do. Hence, the tax rates in the Mohawk and Herkimer districts would be reduced such that all taxpayers of the newly merged district now would pay about $1732 in school taxes for a home worth $100,000.

A Look at the Start and End of Days in the New District with the Three Existing Districts

Below is a graphic that shows what the start and end times to school days would look like for our K through 6 graders, 7th and 8th graders, and our senior high students in a merged district as compared to the current districts. Each of these three categories of students is presented side by side so you can look across the graph and see how each group's day (K through 6th graders, 7th and 8th graders, and 9th through 12th graders) would be in in a merged district in comparison to the three districts as they are now configured.

Click on the figure below to see a full sized view of the contents.

Start and End Times for Students Currently and in Merged District

QUESTION:How Do Current Enrollments And Building Capacities Match Up Among Our Elementary Schools Right Now?

Recently a question came up about the extent to which the elementary school buildings currently being utilized are at capacity. It was suggested that the buildings are already at capacity. This is not the case.


NOTE: The enrollments listed here are the CURRENT ones, which include 5th and 6th graders. In a merged district, those two grades would not be part of the elementary population. 

That being said, among the 4 elementary schools, Herkimer has the largest capacity, at 800 pupils. However their actual enrollment is about 630 students. Ilion's two elementary schools have a total capacity of 1114 pupils, but their enrollments are at 827. The Fisher Elementary School has a capacity of 578, but only has an enrollment of 418.

All in all, each of the districts elementary schools (including 5th and 6th grade students) are being utilized at between 72% and 78%.

QUESTION: Are Class Sizes Being Increased To Accommodate the Merger?

Are the number of students in classrooms being increased in order to accommodate this merger?

In every practical sense - NO. With a VERY minor exception.

At present each district establishes it class room sizes by grade through contract language and Board of Education policy. The superintendents report that each district currently tries to achieve the following class section sizes as a best practice in serving the pupils and in utilizing the skill sets of the teachers at each grade level:

• Pre-Kindergarten: 18 pupils per class section
• Kindergarten and grade 1: 20 pupils per class section
• Grades 2 and 3: 22 pupils per class section
• Grade 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8: 24 pupils per class section
• Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 (core subjects): 25 pupils per class section

 The Study document for the merger cites the following as the goals of the class room sizes:

• Kindergarten and grade 1: 20 pupils per class section
• Grades 2 and 3: 22 pupils per class section
• Grades 4, 5, and 6: 24 pupils per class section
• Grades 7-12: 25 pupils per class section

The only difference would be that in the newly merged district 7th and 8th graders would be in classes where the pupils per classroom could increase by 1, from 24 to 25 pupils per class section. THAT IS THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IN CLASS ROOM SIZES BEING CONSIDERED.

So overall the planned merger contains no real differences in class sizes.

If you have other questions about the study please contact the friendsofthemerge@hotmail.com

QUESTION: Does Barringer Road Have the Capacity to Handle the Combined K-4 Enrollment of Ilion?

Does Barringer Road Elementary School have the capacity to handle the K-4 student population of Ilion now and in the future?



The short answer is that Barringer Road should be able to handle the current enrollment, as well as the future enrollment, of the district. In the study the CONSERVATIVE capacity of Barringer Elementary was estimated at 584 students. In reality the actual capacity is about 10% higher than that according to the Study Team. That would mean a true assessment of the capacity of the building is about 642 students.

This "lowering" of the capacity level by 10% as part of the study document is done as a way to provide the most conservative estimate possible. That way districts can have some leeway in their planning - which is exactly what has occurred here. So in reality the building at Barringer Road can handle about 10% more than the 584 capacity cited in the study, which translates into around 640 kids.

So is this true capacity of Barringer a problem? Current enrollment for the next year for K-4 in Ilion is 594 pupils. Projection models vary widely in terms of how many students will be in Ilion in 5 years (2016-2017). It could be as low as 504 pupils, and possibly as high as 632. In both cases these numbers are still under the maximum capacity of the building.

There is another factor which can be brought to bear on any potential crowding in the elementary school in Ilion in a merger as well. Some parents who border on the current district with Mohawk could be given the option of sending their children to Fisher Elementary School. In some cases parents might do so because it is actually closer and represents less travel time for their young children. They also may way to take advantage of the program at Fisher. At any rate, some parents may chose to actually have their children attend the elementary program in Mohawk instead of going to Ilion's Barringer Road.

Our understanding is that NO ONE would be forced to change schools. This would be a voluntary move on the part of parents and something that they would be given a chance to contemplate.

Lastly, and just as a matter of consideration, the Ilion School District has been discussing the possibility closing Remington Elementary School for some time now. Regardless of whether or not a merger occurs, Remington School has been considered for closure. So it seems reasonable to conclude that Barringer Road, as an facility, may well be the only elementary school in Ilion at some point in the not-so-distant future regardless of a where or not a merger takes place. In the event that a merger does occur, then the options noted above become possible. In the case that a merger does not happen, then the district may be looking to shuffle building configurations within Ilion to something different than they are now.

So hopefully this provides some insight into what the true capacity is of Barringer Road.