Dear Stamford Central School Community Member:

It has become apparent that cuts in state aid will continue to put unprecedented stress on our school budget. This past summer, Governor Cuomo signed into law the "Property Tax Cap" legislation that will limit the amount of funding schools can rise within their community. Unless we begin to think differently about how we provide education within our community, we run the risk of future deficits which could impact the quality of programming we can offer our students.

In October, a team of expert consultants presented a comprehensive study that evaluated opportunities for our district to share services with the Jefferson Central School District. The following presents a list of possible options that are being considered by the boards of education in each district. We are seeking your input to aid us in our decision making. Kindly complete the survey by Friday, January 13, 2012.

Our board has held preliminary discussions on the first five items appearing on this survey (shared superintendent, shared business office, transportation efficiencies, food service efficiencies, and shared maintenance staff). We plan to have additional discussions on each of the other items included in this survey. Please indicate your level of support for each item. Please also share your comments and suggestions at the bottom of the survey. We value your feedback.

Sincerely,

The Stamford Central School Board of Education