This collection presents statistical data, registries, and reference materials for quantitative and geographic research on New York State school district evolution. Unlike the narrative governance records, these materials serve as data sources for spatial analysis, consolidation pattern research, and administrative history.

Overview

Metric Value
Total Pages 179
Series B0594, B0494
Theme Statistics, registries, reference data
Coverage Statewide (29+ counties)

Research Questions Enabled:

  • Which counties consolidated most aggressively?
  • What was the timeline of district mergers across NYS?
  • How did consolidation types differ (Central Rural vs. Union Free vs. Town Units)?
  • What patterns emerge in district name changes and registrations?
  • Can we map the geographic spread of education reform?

District Notecard Index

**63 pages Series B0594 Statewide**

Index cards from the NYS Education Department documenting district registrations, name changes, and administrative actions. Each card tracks the administrative history of an individual school or district.

Characteristics

  • Registration and charter dates
  • Name change records
  • Merger and consolidation notes
  • Cross-references to other districts
  • Filed by school/district name

Sample Transcription (Page 2)

Alexander High School (Genesee Co.) Broadway, Aurora, 1920s

L 6 May 1824 (ch. 397) Alexander Classical School 5 Feb. 1839 - admitted R Mr 28, 1845 - chartered as Genesee and Wyoming Seminary R 9 Jan 1889 - merged in Alexander U.S. 26 Feb. 1914 - ranked as H.B. Apr 20, 1951 - name changed to Alexander High School

[stamp: Alexander High School]

Sample Transcription (Page 5)

[stamp: Common School District No. 10]

  1. Palatine Union School

Apr. 1916 Report of Mr. Arms, who revised question as to desirability of continuing the academic department. Last 1000 days attendance

17 Jan 1916 Dr. C. F. Wheelock wrote concerning 24 Feb 1916 Ret[urn] from P[resident] of Board that matters was brighter for another year (filed in general files)

Browse by Page

County Consolidation Tables

**116 pages Series B0494 29 Counties**

Statistical tables documenting school district consolidations across New York State, organized by county. Each table type tracks different consolidation structures:

  • Union Free Schools: Voter-created districts crossing town lines
  • Town School Units: Township-based consolidated districts
  • Consolidated Districts: Merged common school districts
  • Central Rural Schools: Centralized rural district systems

Sample Table (Cattaraugus County, Page 10)

District Town Date Org Date Appr Remarks
CRS 1,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 New Albion, Mumford, Otts, Dayton, Austin, Leon, East Otts Laid out June 6, 1946 June 25, 1946 CRS 1 New Albion
CRS 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 Allegany, Carrollton, Humphrey Laid out June 9, 1947 June 30, 1947 CRS 1 Allegany

Browse by County

Tables are organized by New York State county. Each county section includes multiple consolidation types.

Western NY

Central NY

Southern Tier

North Country

Mohawk Valley

Hudson Valley

Finger Lakes

Long Island

Data Structure

Table Column Definitions

Column Description
n District number(s) involved in consolidation
town Town name(s) where districts are located
date_org Date when consolidation was organized/laid out
date_appr Date when consolidation was approved
n_new New consolidated district number
rmk Remarks (effective dates, special notes)

Consolidation Types

Type Description
Union Free School (UFS) Voter-created districts that can cross town boundaries
Central Rural School (CRS) Centralized district serving multiple rural areas
Town School Unit (TSU) Township-based consolidated district
Consolidated District (CD) Merger of existing common school districts

Research Applications

Geographic Analysis

  • Map consolidation patterns by region
  • Identify urban vs. rural consolidation rates
  • Track the spread of Central Rural School movement

Temporal Analysis

  • Timeline of consolidation across NYS (1940s-1950s)
  • Peak years for district mergers
  • Seasonal patterns (school year timing)

Quantitative Research

  • Districts per county before/after consolidation
  • Consolidation type distribution by region
  • Cross-reference with governance decisions (Collection 2)

Notes

  • OCR Quality: Typed tables have high accuracy; handwritten notecards have more [illegible] markers
  • Source: All materials from New York State Archives
  • Processing: Tables extracted via multimodal AI with structured data parsing
  • Thumbnails: Available for all consolidation table pages