Merger Study Grant Process: Cazenovia and Morrisville-Eaton Seek Funding

Jan. 10, 2025

The Cazenovia and Morrisville-Eaton central school districts are working diligently with the OCM BOCES Grant Writing Service to secure a crucial New York State Department of State grant to support an in-depth study exploring the potential benefits of a merger between the two districts.

“We want to deliver an educational experience that will provide the best future for our students,” Cazenovia Superintendent Chris DiFulvio said. “Conducting a merger study is one way we can explore options without committing to a change. Securing funding for the study is the first step in this exploration process.” 

The grant application is evaluated using a point system, where each criterion is assigned points to determine the overall ranking.

Both districts are busy gathering data and providing detailed information about the districts to maximize points. That data and information include:

• Financial Information: Compiling data on costs per pupil, teacher and administrator salaries, transportation costs and insurance expenses.

• Operational Costs: Obtaining cost quotes from potential merger study consultants and information on necessary infrastructure improvements, such as the need to address aging facilities, including Cazenovia's heating system and bus garage.

• Demonstrating Need: Providing a history of financial challenges, including budget constraints, program cuts, and staffing limitations.

• Project Scale: Demonstrating the potential positive impact of a successful merger on the regional community.

The grant application also requires the districts to consider the potential long-term implications of a merger, including evaluating and potentially transitioning to a unified system for critical software platforms, such as financial, payroll, internal communications, public communications, document preservation and more. An example would be converting Morrisville-Eaton's use of Microsoft applications to Cazenovia's Google Suite, or vice versa, to align communication and collaboration tools.

The next crucial step involves securing letters of support from key community service partners, such as the after-school YMCA program, BRiDGES and Madison County Mental Health Services, as well as a Letter of Intent from county executives.

The Morrisville-Eaton and Cazenovia study would be eligible to receive up to $40,000, as the state will award up to $100,000 to support merger studies, with a maximum of $20,000 per participating school district. The deadline for submitting the grant application is Jan. 24, 2025.

“A saying I have repeatedly heard recently is that a school can become educationally bankrupt before it goes financially bankrupt,” said Morrisville-Eaton Superintendent Greg Molloy. “We don’t want to get to the point where we’re delivering only requirements without the breadth of opportunity for our kids.”

Securing this grant funding would allow the districts to explore the potential benefits of consolidation while minimizing the financial burden and maximizing the return on investment for both communities.

“Slowly cutting services, electives and opportunities will only cut the fabric of what we are as a community,” Molloy said.