New York State Education Dept. Bureau of School District Organization District Superintendent County Files Relating to…

Arranged into two subseries: 1. Files related to school district boundary adjustments, 2. County files.

The consolidation of small rural school districts into larger central school districts was first enacted into law in Chapter 55 of the Laws of 1914, which provided for the formation of "Central Rural Schools." The first rural central school district was created in 1924. In 1925, the Cole-Rice Law (Chapter 673 of the Laws of 1925) was enacted, which provided state financial aid for transportation and school construction in order to encourage rural school districts to consolidate. The pace of centralization increased in the 1930's, but the process of centralization was criticized as piecemeal by the Regents' Inquiry into the Character and Cost of Public Education in 1938. In response, the Bureau of Rural Administrative Services was created in 1943 to facilitate the process of school district centralization, and a Master Plan for School District Reorganization was created by the Joint Legislative Committee on the State Education System in 1947. The Bureau of Rural Administrative Services was renamed the Bureau of School District Organization in 1964. By 1959, the number of school districts in New York State had fallen to under 2,000, down from around 10,000 in 1925. Overall, the movement toward centralized school districts was reflective of a national trend towards greater involvement by state governments and state education agencies in the administration and funding of public schools.

The Education Department has responsibility for supervising all educational institutions in the state and the Commissioner of Education exercises a quasi-judicial authority by which he may review actions of local school boards and officials. Applications for forming central school districts are reviewed by the State Education Department, and the orders laying out such districts are issued by the Commissioner of Education.

This series documents the appointment of superintendents of supervisory districts and their official relations with the Education Department. "County Files" include copies of the commissioner's orders confirming appointments, and related correspondence; and background correspondence with superintendents pertaining to centralizations, school district boundary alterations, and redistricting of supervisory districts. More recent files may sometimes contain detailed studies of school district boundary changes, including maps.

B1104Series B1104, School district centralization files

B0472Series B0472, School district centralization and reorganization files

B0476Series B0476, Certification files regarding State aid and Reorganization

15672Series 15672, School district centralization and reorganization files document the district reorganization process

B0477Series B0477, Bureau of School District Organization subject and administrative files

B0314Series B0314, Office of District Organization and District Superintendents subject files document the daily operation of NYSED offices responsible for district reorganization

B0482Series B0482, County district administration and supervision files

11121Series 11121, Correspondence with district superintendents documents the department's interaction with district superintendents.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.