Research


New York State Education Department Bureau of School District Organization Subject and Administrative Files


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Overview of the Records

Repository:

New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230

Summary:
These files document the Bureau's field activities and policy development relating to centralization and reorganization of school districts; district superintendents; legislative proposals; administration of programs specified in legislation; professional organizations; racial imbalance in elementary and secondary schools; state financial aid for education; vocational education. They also address procedures and departmental policy on the formation of central school districts, vocational education and enlarged city school districts.
Creator:
Title:
Education Department Bureau of School District Organization subject and administrative files
Quantity:

8 cubic feet

Inclusive Dates:
1923-1967
Bulk Dates:
1952-1967
Series Number:
B0477
Sponsor:
This series' description was enhanced as part of the States' Impact on Federal Education Policy Project (SIFEPP), in April 2010. The New York Community Trust - Wallace Special Projects Fund provided funding for this project.

Arrangement

Arranged into two subseries: 1. Subject files, 2. Administrative files

Administrative History

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.

Scope and Content Note

The series contains correspondence, memoranda and reports regarding activities of the Bureau of School District Organization in the field and in policy development. Many of the records are related to district superintendents. These include newsletters from the Assistant Commissioner for Educational Administration and Supervision, explaining NYSED policies and activities to district superintendents. Also present is correspondence regarding resignation of district superintendents and its effect on possible reorganization of school districts. The subject files also include correspondence with U.S. Office of Education personnel regarding the USOE's interest in NYSED programs as a model for providing enhanced educational services to rural school districts. Other subjects dealt with in the subject files include state legislation, racial imbalance in school districts, and vocational education. Also included in the series are files documenting the administration of the Bureau of School District Organization, including annual reports, timesheets for staff, and budget requests to the Office of Business Management and Personnel.

Related Material

14209 deals with the creation and oversight of Boards of Cooperative Education Services

B0473 deals with the creation and oversight of Boards of Cooperative Education Services

B0474 deals with the creation and oversight of Boards of Cooperative Education Services

11120 contains reports on studies completed for the Master Plan for School District Reorganization

B0472 deals with school district centralization

B0476 deals with school district centralization

15672 deals with school district centralization

11121 documents the supervision of district superintendents

15671 documents the supervision of district superintendents

B0314 documents the supervision of district superintendents

B0482 documents the supervision of district superintendents.

Access Restrictions

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

Access Terms

Corporate Name(s):
Geographic Name(s):
Subject(s):
Function(s):

Detailed Description

Subseries 1: Subject files

Dates:
1923-1967, 1952-1967
Physical Description:
6 cubic feet of textual records

Scope and Content Note:

This subseries contains correspondence, memoranda and reports regarding activities of the Bureau of School District Organization in the field and in policy development. Many of the records are related to district superintendents. These include newsletters from the Assistant Commissioner for Educational Administration and Supervision, explaining NYSED policies and activities to district superintendents. Also present is correspondence regarding resignation of district superintendents and its effect on possible reorganization of school districts. The subject files also include correspondence with U.S. Office of Education personnel regarding the USOE's interest in NYSED programs as a model for providing enhanced educational services to rural school districts. Other subjects dealt with in the subject files include state legislation, racial imbalance in school districts, and vocational education. Also included in the series are files documenting the administration of the Bureau of School District Organization, including annual reports, timesheets for staff, and budget requests to the Office of Business Management and Personnel.

Arrangement:

Folder list arranged alphabetically by subject.

  

Dates Contents Box Folder

Accretion: 1983
1964 December-1967 March Area Centers for Cooperative Educational Services 1 1
1949 April-1954 December Central High School Districts - 1951-54 1 2
1961 September-1962 February Central School Districts - Building Quota 1 3
1930 October-1943 March Central School Districts - Department Publicity - 1930- 1 4
1940 March-1952 May Central School Districts - Miscellaneous - 1940- 1 5
1956 April-1964 March Clippings (Personal File) 1 6
1962 April-1966 May Civil Defense 1 7
1960 November-1966 December Commissioner's Advisory Council of Superintendents 1 8
1960 March-1965 July Commissioner's Regulations 1 9
1966 September-October Commissioner's Newsletter to Boards of Education 1 10
1962 June-1963 March Committee on Health and Housing 1 11
1958 March-1961 June Committee on Improving Educational Opportunity in Districts of Low Financial Ability - Correspondence 1 12
1959 August-1966 October Crewson, Walter - 1959 1 13
1959 January-1966 July Department of Health, Education and Welfare - Office of Education - 1959 1 14
1957 November-1960 February Department of Health, Education and Welfare - Office of Education - Research Project 1 15
1961 January-1965 July Department of Rural Education - 1961- 1 16
1961 October-1962 March Diefendorf Committee on School FInancing 1 17
1962 July-1965 December Department Workshops 1 18
1964 October-1966 October District Superintendents - Newsletter 1 19
1963 January-February District Reorganization Reports from District Superintendents 1 20
1932 May-1953 May District Superintendency - Redistricting and Resignation Material - 1932-54 1 21
1964 May-1966 December District Superintendents' Probationary Period 1 22
1936 September-1953 October District Superintendency Publications 1 23
1950 November-1951 January District Superintendency - Study of Changing Status 1 24
1964 September-1965 July Economic Opportunity Act 1 25
1961 December-1965 June Education Department Chapter - CSEA 1 26
1959 September-October Education Department - Study IV 1 27
1955 August-1966 June Educational Communications 2 1
1961 June-1965 July Racial Imbalance 2 2
1962 February-1964 September Legislation - 1964 2 3a
1962 February-1964 September Legislation - 1964 2 3b
1965 August-1966 November Elementary and Secondary Education Act - Title III Centers 2 4
1965 July-1967 June Elementary and Secondary Education Act 2 5
1958 April-1966 May Foreign Visitors to Department 2 6
1959 May Governor's Evaluation of State Programs 2 7
1961 May-1966 March Governor's Office - Regional Studies 2 8
1964 August-1965 July Legislation - 1965 2 9a
1964 August-1965 July Legislation - 1965 2 9b
1964 August-1965 July Legislation - 1965 2 9c
1960 January-1966 November Nassau County Commission on Vocational and Special Education 2 10
1958 January-1965 October New York State Citizens Committee for the Public Schools - 1958 2 11a
1958 January-1965 October New York State Citizens Committee for the Public Schools - 1958 2 11b
1958 January-1965 October New York State Citizens Committee for the Public Schools - 1958 2 11c
1959 January-1963 October New York State Congress of Parents and Teachers - 1958 2 12
1958 January-1963 October New York State Educational Conference Board 2 13
1959 December-1966 December New York State School Boards Association - 1959 2 14a
1959 December-1966 December New York State School Boards Association - 1959 2 14b
1965 January-1967 September New York State Association of School District Administrators 2 15
1962 December-1963 April Public Relations 2 16
1963 April-1966 December Quarterly Report 2 17
1960 February-1961 April School Buildings and Grounds-Bureau of Rural Administrative Services Joint Meeting 3 1
1952 February-1962 March School Community Districts - 1951-1954 3 2a
1952 February-1962 March School Community Districts - 1951-1954 3 2b
1952 February-1962 March School Community Districts - 1951-1954 3 2c
1952 February-1962 March School Community Districts - 1951-1954 3 2d
1957 June-1965 July School District Reorganization - Commissioner's Orders - 1959-1965 3 3a
1957 June-1965 July School District Reorganization - Commissioner's Orders - 1959-1965 3 3b
1957 June-1960 September School District Reorganization - Commissioner's Orders - 1958-1959 3 4
1959 January-1963 April School District Reorganization - New York State - 1959 3 5
1962 April-July School District Reorganization - New Hampshire 3 6
1963 July-1964 February School District Organization - Maryland 3 7a
1963 July-1964 February School District Organization - Maryland 3 7b
1963 January-1966 June School District Organization - Out of State 3 8
1962 January-1964 July School District Reorganization - Pennsylvania 3 9a
1962 January-1964 July School District Reorganization - Pennsylvania 3 9b
1963 April-June School District Organization - South Carolina 3 10
1959 January-1966 November School District Reorganization Studies - 1959 3 11
1959 January-1966 December School District Reorganization Studies - 1959 3 12
1956 December Secondary Education 3 13
1950 October-1963 June Speeches and Articles - Francis E. Griffin 3 14
1960 March-1964 March Staffing for Studies 3 15
1963 May Standards for Good Schools 3 16
1962 January-1964 August State Aid 3 17
1962 May-1964 August State Aid Bulletins 3 18
1963 February-March Transportation 3 19
undated Three Mill Law 3 20
1962 April-1963 August T - Miscellaneous 3 21
1959 February-1966 August Village Superintendencies - 1959 3 22a
1959 February-1966 August Village Superintendencies - 1959 3 22b
1958 September-1964 June Vocational Education 3 23a
1958 September-1964 June Vocational Education 3 23b
1962 February White House Conference on Children and Youth 4 1
1959 March-1961 September Allen, James E. - 1959-1962 4 2
1959 January-1962 July Board of Regents - 1959 4 3
1926 August-1958 April Bowman, George 4 4
1955 October-1959 February Newspaper Clippings - 1957 (Permanent file) 4 5
1959 April-1963 October Commissioner's Memoranda - 1959- 4 6
1955 November-1958 December Commissioner's Memoranda - 1955-1958 4 7
1960 September-1961 January Committee Meetings - Commissioner Experimental Project 4 8
1959 August-1960 November Department of Rural Education - 1959-1960 4 9
1959 July Department Project - Compendium on Education Practice and Research 4 10
1957 June Education Law 4 11
1956 December-1959 November Committee on Improving Educational Opportunity in Districts of Low Financial Ability - Reports and Miscellaneous 4 12a
1956 December-1959 November Committee on Improving Educational Opportunity in Districts of Low Financial Ability - Reports and Miscellaneous 4 12b
1956 December-1959 November Committee on Improving Educational Opportunity in Districts of Low Financial Ability - Reports and Miscellaneous 4 12c
1957 June-1960 June Flick, Hugh 4 13
1959 February-1960 October Law Division - 1959 4 14
1958 February-1959 March Legislation - 1959 Session 4 15
1962 June-1963 April Legislation - 1963 4 16
1961 October-1962 March Legislation - 1962 4 17
1960 June-1962 January Legislative Session - 1961 4 18a
1960 June-1962 January Legislative Session - 1961 4 18b
1959 July-1961 August Legislation - 1960 Session 4 19
1961 July-September Legislation - Proposed 4 20
1953 May-1963 June Letters to Supervisors 4 21
1960 June Merit Pay for Teachers 4 22
1960 January-1963 September National Education Association 4 23
1959 April-1961 February New York State Association of District Superintendents 4 24
1958 October-1962 December New York State Grange - 1958 4 25
1962 October Office of Local Government - Bulletin Service 4 26
1960 May-1961 January Office for Local Government Workshop 4 27
1959 August-1961 May Out of State - 1959- 5 1
undated Research Project (BRAS) - Evaluation of School District Reorganization Plans - General 5 2
Research Project (BRAS) - Evaluation of School District Reorganization Plans - D.O.B. [empty] 5 3
1959 May-June Research Project (BRAS) - Evaluation of School District Reorganization Plans - R.M.C. 5 4
1958 December-1959 April Research Project (BRAS) - Evaluation of School District Reorganization Plans - H.W.L. 5 5
1960 July-1961 June School District FInancing 5 6
1957 February School District Reorganization - Central District Combinations 5 7
1953 September-1958 September School District Reorganization Planning Conference - Gull Bay 5 8
1959 January-1963 January School District Reorganization - Out of State 5 9
1959-1961 Secondary School Reports 5 10
1958 June-1962 October Self Evaluation Survey - Education Department 5 11
1958 September-1961 March Self Evaluation Survey - Education Department (Reports) 5 12
1958 December-1960 January Service Awards 5 13
1958 August-1959 September Seminar in Intergroup Relationships 5 14
1923 October-1938 Snyder, Ray 5 15
1956 August-1961 October State Aid 5 16a
1956 August-1961 October State Aid 5 16b
1956 August-1957 July School District Reorganization - Commissioner's Orders, 1956-1957 5 17
1957 September-1958 April Legislation - 1958 Session 5 18
1958 January-April Legislative Bulletins - State Education Department - 1958 5 19
1957 January-September New York State Citizens Committee for the Public Schools, Inc. - 1957 5 20
1957 April-October New York State Association of School District Superintendents - 1957 5 21
1958 January-April Legislative Bulletins - New York State School Boards Association, Inc. - 1958 6 1
1958 January Legislative Bulletins - New York State Teachers Association - 1958 6 2
1956 December-1958 February Bond Prospecti - 1957 6 3
1957 January-December Central School Boards Committee for Educational Research - 1957 6 4
1957 February-December Merit Award Board - 1957 6 5
1957 February-1958 January Allen, James E. - 1957- 6 6
1957 February-1958 March American Association of School Administrators - 1957- 6 7
1957 January-November American Society for Public Administration - 1957- 6 8
1957 January-1958 January Board of Regents Meetings - 1957- 6 9
1957 February-December Department of Rural Education - National Education Association - 1957- 6 10a
1957 February-December Department of Rural Education - National Education Association - 1957- 6 10b
1957 March-August Central School Districts - A-N - 1957- 6 11
1957 February-December Central School Districts - O-Z - 1957- 6 12

Subseries 2: Administrative files

Dates:
1944-1966
Physical Description:
0.5 cubic feet of textual records

Scope and Content Note:

This subseries contains records documenting the administration of the Bureau of School District Organization. Included are drafts of the bureau's annual report, time sheets for department staff, budget requests to the Office of Business Management and Personnel, and analyses of the efficiency and effectiveness of Bureau operations.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical by subject

  

Dates Contents Box Folder

Accretion: 1983
1958 August-1963 June Administrative Improvement Reports 7 1
1956 October-1958 October Administrative Practices and Procedures 7 2
1957 August-1966 October Annual Report - 1956-1963 7 3
1957 July-1964 April Annual Reports - Correspondence 7 4
1955 April-1962 June Budget 7 5
1964 May-1966 May Budget - Budget Requests - 1965-66-1966-67 7 6
1964 April-1965 May Budget - Legislative and Budgetary Proposals 7 7
1944 February-1963 May Budget Requests - 1945-1964-65 7 8
1958 August-1967 April Bureau Operations 7 9
1957 May-1958 June Forms - Requisition of and/or Publications 7 10
1960 June-1961 July Moving Data 7 11
1946 December-1953 September Position Analysis Data 7 12
1955 October-November Records Inventory 7 13
1945 March-1964 July Reclassification of Titles 7 14
1956 October-1960 September Space Planning 7 15
1956 April-1964 May Time Records - Correspondence 7 16