S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
589
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
(PREFILED)
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. MARTINS, CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK, MATTERA, RHOADS --
read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to
the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "our
schools our rules act"
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
the "our schools our rules act".
§ 2. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature finds that local
school districts in the state, particularly those on Long Island, have
historically maintained high standards of education through locally
controlled governance and decision-making processes. The recent proposal
by the education department and the board of regents to mandate the
development and implementation of regionalization plans, as outlined in
part one hundred twenty-four of the commissioner of education's regu-
lations, threatens to undermine local control, dilute the quality of
education, and impose significant administrative burdens on local school
districts. The intent of this act is to preserve the autonomy of local
school districts by prohibiting any state-mandated regionalization of
local school districts.
§ 3. The education law is amended by adding a new section 1527-b to
read as follows:
§ 1527-B. MANDATORY REGIONALIZATION PLANS PROHIBITED. 1. FOR THE
PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE TERM "MANDATORY REGIONALIZATION PLAN"
SHALL MEAN ANY RULE OR POLICY THAT REQUIRES THE SHARING OF RESOURCES,
ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONS, OR INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES AMONG TWO OR MORE
SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BOARDS OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES (BOCES),
CHARTER SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, OR ANY COMBINATION THEREOF, PURSUANT
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01778-01-5
S. 589 2
TO A REGULATION, ORDER, OR DIRECTIVE ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER, THE
DEPARTMENT, OR THE BOARD OF REGENTS.
2. (A) NO LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL BE REQUIRED BY ANY REGULATION,
RULE, OR POLICY OF THE COMMISSIONER, THE DEPARTMENT, OR THE BOARD OF
REGENTS TO DEVELOP, IMPLEMENT, OR PARTICIPATE IN A MANDATORY REGIONALI-
ZATION PLAN, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO MANDATORY REGIONALIZATION
PLANS RELATED TO SHARED RESOURCES, OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES, OR JOINT
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS.
(B) THE DEPARTMENT AND THE BOARD OF REGENTS SHALL NOT ENACT, IMPLE-
MENT, OR ENFORCE ANY REGULATION, RULE, OR POLICY THAT REQUIRES LOCAL
SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO DEVELOP, IMPLEMENT, OR PARTICIPATE IN A MANDATORY
REGIONALIZATION PLAN.
3. ANY REGULATION ENACTED OR PROPOSED BY THE COMMISSIONER THAT RELATES
TO BOARDS OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES (BOCES) AND REQUIRES THE
DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONALIZATION PLANS BY LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL BE
DEEMED NULL AND VOID. THE DEPARTMENT AND THE BOARD OF REGENTS SHALL NOT
MAKE ANY EFFORT TO IMPLEMENT ANY SUCH REGULATION.
4. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL PROHIBIT LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS FROM
VOLUNTARILY ENTERING INTO AGREEMENTS OR PARTNERSHIPS RELATED TO SHARED
SERVICES WITH OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BOARDS OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL
SERVICES (BOCES), CHARTER SCHOOLS, AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
5. LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL RETAIN FULL AUTONOMY OVER SUCH SCHOOL
DISTRICT'S GOVERNANCE, BUDGETING, AND OPERATIONAL DECISIONS WITHOUT
INTERFERENCE BY THE DEPARTMENT PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.