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Greece board votes to join regional planning after amendment that limits required actions to agreed activities
Summary
After a lengthy debate and a visit from a State Regent, the Board voted to participate in state regionalization planning under amended language clarifying that districts must implement only activities they consent to; board later tabled consideration of joining an Article 78 legal challenge pending counsel review.
The Greece Central School District Board of Education voted to participate in regionalization planning under an amended resolution that states participating districts "are only required to implement activities that they have agreed or consented to for their local context." The board adopted the amendment and the amended resolution by roll call vote.
Trustee Mark Bonagorio voiced concerns in the meeting about the state regulation’s original language, saying "the rule is very, very direct in stating that there is a shift" of authority and urging clarity about whether participation would be voluntary. Board member Mary Lyke and others also expressed concern about vagueness and local control. Regent Adrian Hill of the New York State Board of Regents addressed the board in person and urged participation: "I get your concerns," he said, adding that many objections come from downstate and that being "at the table" lets districts shape how regional cooperation will work.
Board members debated an amendment proposed by Bonagorio that added explicit language limiting required implementation to activities the district consents to; the amendment passed unanimously on a roll-call vote. The full resolution as amended also passed unanimously.
Separately, several board members discussed joining other districts considering an Article 78 legal challenge to the state regulation. A motion to join that litigation was introduced; board members asked for legal counsel before committing. The board voted to table participation in the Article 78 action pending review by the district’s legal counsel.
Votes recorded during the discussion included unanimous roll-call approval of the amendment and of the resolution as amended. The meeting record shows robust public and internal discussion of the regulation’s language and of the balance between voluntary collaboration and concerns about any potential loss of local authority.
