Oyster Bay Supervisor Urges Governor Hochul to Halt School Regionalization Plan

As the supervisor of Oyster Bay, representing over 300,000 residents — including many parents and educators — I’m deeply concerned about a new proposal from the State Education Department to combine public school systems across New York. On behalf of the Oyster Bay Town Board, I’m calling on Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature to stop these plans immediately. This proposal would take away local control, skip important oversight, and could harm the quality of education we value so much.

In Oyster Bay, our local school districts are designed to meet the specific needs of our communities. The state’s plan to force regionalization is being introduced as an “emergency regulation,” but there’s no real emergency to justify such a drastic change. Even worse, this proposal ignores local school boards, parents, and lawmakers. Communities wouldn’t even have the option to say no, taking away their right to make decisions for themselves.

Oyster Bay is home to some of the best schools in the country. Families move here because of the high-quality education, which is the result of years of hard work and investment by local leaders who understand what their students need. A statewide, one-size-fits-all plan would undo much of that success.

If this plan goes forward, resources and teachers could be spread too thin, lowering the quality of education. It would also make schools less accountable to their local communities and could lead to higher taxes for families already struggling with rising costs. Parents want their tax dollars to support their local schools, not to fund other districts with different challenges. Moving resources away from high-performing schools won’t improve education for everyone — it will just make things worse.

The State Education Department claims this plan is needed to address an “emergency” in education, but there’s no evidence to back this up. In fact, New York’s schools rank among the top 10 in the country, according to Education Week. While some districts do face challenges, this plan doesn’t target those specific issues. Instead, it imposes a blanket solution that would hurt successful schools and their communities. It seems more like an agenda being pushed by state officials who aren’t connected to what our students, families, and teachers actually need.

This isn’t the first time the state has tried to interfere with local control. From mandating high-density housing to changing election rules, Albany has repeatedly tried to take power away from local communities. We need to push back and protect our right to make decisions that reflect our own values, especially when it comes to our children’s education.

The future of our children and our schools is too important to risk. Regionalization won’t solve the problems in struggling districts, and it will hurt successful ones. We need to stand together and say no to this plan.

Please join us in opposing this proposal. Sign the petition at oysterbaytown.com/schools to tell Governor Hochul and state officials to keep education decisions in the hands of parents, teachers, and local communities.