This post looks at data from three regional school mergers to reveal the actual truth of how merging school districts affects school spending, income and financial health. The verdict? As shown through research shared in previous posts, the over-promised financial benefits fail to show up.

The previous Financial Experience of Schools that Merge post, along with the research based posts linked here, reveal that school merger proponents routinely over promise on the financial benefits of school mergers. It is common for schools to paint dire pictures of potential future financial shortfalls while drawing rosy pictures of how a school merger will solve everything. Evidence from research and from local mergers tells a different story.

The previous post shared the concluding summary from an analysis of New York State school mergers occurring between 1986 and 2006. (1) In this post we will share that study’s data for two local mergers: Cobleskill-Richmondville (1993) and Cherry Valley-Springfield (1986). These local examples back up the overall research conclusion that school mergers lead to increases in school expenditures across the board.

The research data compared school expenditures from 4 years before reorganization with expenditures 4 years after. Not surprisingly, in those eight years, expenditures per pupil increased. In Cobleskill-Richmondville per pupil expenses increased by just under $3,000 and in Cherry Valley-Springfield that number was just over $4,000. In both cases, those numbers matched the increases in state aid due to the temporary merger incentive aid. This means that schools are spending the temporary aid in a manner that will inevitably lead to either increased school tax levies or future reductions in services when the incentive aid runs out.

A more rigorous example, with a build-in control group, is provided by the 2013 merger of the Mohawk and Ilion school districts to form the new district now called Central Valley Academy (CVA), Herkimer Central School was a part of that merger process, but they (wisely!) chose to remain independent. Merger proponents, predictably, told stories about dire financial deficits if schools did not merge, and wonderful new opportunities if a merger was approved. Well, two schools merged and one remained un-merged. A dozen years later, both districts remain financially sound, with little or no fiscal stress. (2) Herkimer has had several years of 0% tax increases, and has never had a significant increase in the intervening 12 years. (3) In 2025 Herkimer approved a 1.75% tax levy increase and CVA approved a 3.4% increase. (4) Since 2013, Herkimer has experienced a 13% drop in enrollment, and CVA a 20% drop. There is little difference between the two districts in terms of student opportunities or student achievement.

Merging schools does not produce any magical results, and a choice to remain independent does not bring any of the negative consequences that proponent’s scare tactics envision. The promises made about a school merger are just as empty as the warnings about failing to merge.