A Guide to Regionalization

As you may have seen in the news or on social media, the New York State Education Department and other state policymakers have implemented a regulation requiring school districts to participate in a regionalization planning process. The Lynbrook Board of Education has been actively monitoring this discussion, and Board members have participated in meetings regarding this topic. The Board will discuss Regionalization at the November 13, 2024, meeting at 7:30 PM in the Lynbrook High School Cafeteria.

 

What is Regionalization?

According to the New York State Education Department:

"Regionalization refers to a broad tool for addressing student needs and operational efficiencies through shared resources, grounded in a process of continuous needs assessment and cross-district coordination. New York State’s educational landscape already features many examples of partnerships across schools and districts and existing regionalization infrastructure, such as cross-district contracts and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES)."


What does Lynbrook School District need to do?

According to the New York State Education Department, all districts must:

  • Complete the Strengths & Needs Tool to summarize and reflect on their local strengths, needs, and vision in the Fall of 2024;
  • Participate in regional convenings, facilitated by the District Superintendent  of Nassau BOCES, to discuss aggregate needs of the region with other component districts;
  • Continuously engage and collaborate with other component districts to develop a regional plan and set of recommendations for creating and enhancing access to opportunities for all students in your region.
  • Each school district is not required to have an activity for their school(s) listed in the plan; only to contribute to the conversations. The District Superintendent will record the plan and recommendations in a template provided by NYSED.
  • Collaborate to implement and amend, as appropriate, regional plans beginning in school year 2026-2027, if their district has an activity listed in the plan for their school(s); and
  • Engage in the planning process to reflect on progress and update their plans and recommendations on a 10-year cycle.

 

Where can I find more information about Regionalization?

The New York State Education Department has created a dedicated webpage for Regionalization. It can be found at https://www.nysed.gov/regionalization.