On Thursday, while children within the Canton and Potsdam schools busily prepared their Halloween costumes, the proposed merger between the districts was voted down. With an incredibly high turnout (almost 1,900 votes in Potsdam compared to a usual 700-800), the merger was voted down, 1404 to 680 in Canton, and 1279 to 558 in Potsdam. The surprising wipeout brings the struggling school districts back to square one amidst a troubling financial situation.
The proposed merger would have granted both schools $35 million dollars in funds from the state over the next 14 years, as well as reducing property taxes within the community at the cost of sending Canton high schoolers to the Potsdam high school, keeping the elementary schools separate, and consolidating the Board of Education. While the vote passed by the school board before being voted on by the public, residents of both Canton and Potsdam had varying concerns. Many had an issue with the combined busing situation, which would have had some students on buses for over an hour, potentially longer come winter. Some families banded around Canton and Potsdam’s uniqueness as high schools, seeing the separate schools as important centers of their respective communities. Others did not think the grant was a long-term solution, seeing the money as a mere Band-Aid that would have been unable to fix obvious budget crises facing the towns.
Both Canton and Potsdam predict to run out of funds in the coming years, leaving the towns facing very severe budget cuts that could decimate school programs. Sophomore Marybeth Benzing understood the potentially negative consequences of this, “The education quality will diminish if programs will be cut, like arts and music. I feel it would have been better to support a well-rounded education rather then worry about an hour long commute.” Sophomore Meghan Mckelvey voiced similar concerns, stating “What else are they going to do? Its important to put a child’s education first.” Indeed, as fiscal uncertainties grow, Canton and Potsdam are thrust further into tense future with no immediate remedy for success.