Transfer of Greenwood Lake high school students to Warwick Valley is preferred option

Warwick - Greenwood Lake school district has made the transfer of students to Warwick their number one option despite state approval to build their own high school. The proposed move of approximately 320 students would be phased in over a three-year period, providing all the remaining obstacles are overcome. Those students currently or, as present agreements stand, will attend high school in Tuxedo. Albany education officials had previously rejected the request from Greenwood Lake for a high school of their own but changes in funding rules has now made it possible. “Four years ago the state said ‘no’ to us building our own school,” said Greenwood Lake Schools Superintendent John Guarracino, “but a law change in 2005 has meant we are able to do so.” While this approval widens the options for Guarracino and Greenwood Lake, it hasn’t changed the goal. “Transferring our students to Warwick makes the best sense for us,” Guarracino said in an interview last week. “Warwick has such excellent programs and there’s no way we could offer the students the same options in a newly built school.” The prime reason for Greenwood Lake seeking to send their students to Warwick is financial and that forms another argument against building a new school. “If we built a new school it may not reduce costs,” said Guarracino. “It would probably work out the same as it currently costs us in Tuxedo.” Estimated costs for students to attend Tuxedo will approach $14,000 per pupil next year compared to an estimated $6,800 per pupil if students were attending school in Warwick. Those costs, however, would be deemed irrelevant should the plan to transfer students fall through. “If for whatever reason we are not able to send our students to Warwick, then we will look to build our own school,” said Guarracino. “Our next step is to continue with the meetings of the Board of Education of both Districts,” said Guarracino, “Our next meeting will be in early June.” In Warwick, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Greenhall is moving ahead with the proposed transfer also. The current focus in this issue is the state aid Warwick would receive which has been complicated by a new formula. Those complications, however, may be easing. “We have received a response from the state,” said Greenhall. “Now we will have a meeting with the transfer committees from both schools. Following that the committee will report to the full board and we’ll take it from there.” Warwick would hold a referendum to test public approval. That vote could come as soon as this fall. The third aspect to this triangle is Tuxedo. Greenwood Lake students have been attending George F. Baker High School in Tuxedo for the past 23 years and make up 75 percent of its enrollment. Joseph Zanetti, Superintendent of schools there made it clear in previous comments what he sees as the best outcome: “I’m not only hopeful we can keep Greenwood Lake students in our school, it is our goal.”