SUNY Fredonia's Center for Rural Regional Development and Governance (CRRDG), the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce, and the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier (MAST) announced the first of four forums as part of its "Lundine Series."
A forum on school consolidation is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 1, at 8 a.m. in Room S104 of the Williams Center on the SUNY Fredonia campus.
The discussion will focus on the school consolidation recommendations of the New York State Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness, also known as the "Lundine Commission." Established in 2006 and chaired by former New York Lieutenant Governor Stan Lundine, the commission is designed to "review ways that New York State's over 4,200 local governments can save taxpayer dollars and become more efficient by sharing services and undertaking regional collaboration."
The forum includes a five-member panel consisting of former Lt. Governor Lundine, SUNY Fredonia President Dennis Hefner, BOCES District Superintendent Robert Guiffreda, Fredonia School Board President Edith Byrne, and Chamber of Commerce and MAST Executive Director Todd Tranum. The discussion will be moderated by John D'Agostino, publisher of the OBSERVER.
"This public discussion will complement the existing efforts to improve the efficiency of our school system in Chautauqua County," said Chuck Cornell, CRRDG director. "I believe the discussion of how we structure our school system to create greater efficiency and competitiveness will be a fruitful one."
The forums are intended to generate significant public discussion about how to make local government more efficient, as well as support current and future initiatives aimed at increasing the competitiveness of Chautauqua County's business environment.
Anyone interested in attending the event should contact the Center for Rural Regional Development and Governance at cornell@fredonia.edu or 672-9804.