Editorial: Amsterdam and its school district have so much in common

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is in charge of New York City’s school system and Mayor Jerry Jennings would like to be in charge of Albany’s. Amsterdam Mayor Ann Thane is a bit more modest in her ambitions: She just wants to work more closely with the school district and help it improve its image, knowing how public perception of the school system affects the ability of the city to attract residents and businesses. Toward this end she has organized a new commission consisting of school and city officials as well as community members. A good idea.

After taking office in January, Thane says, she was surprised to find that “the school district and city are on completely different planets. They function completely separate.”

The schools don’t have to be under the control of politicians, but they should at least talk to each other, work together, plan for the future together. The kids in the schools are the same ones walking the city’s streets; the taxpayers of one entity also pay taxes to the other. Crime, corruption or bad governance in the city causes people who can afford it to to leave, hurting the schools; bad schools cause the same kind of people to shun the city, hurting its stability and tax base. In other words, the fate and fortunes of a city and its school district are intertwined.

While not in the same way as Amsterdam, the city of Schenectady and the school system have also begun to cooperate. At the urging of City Councilman Thomas Della Salla, a former teacher in the district, the two entities have already agreed to share services and equipment in several areas. This will save the district money, allowing city residents to save on their taxes.

Another area that the district hasn’t agreed to yet, but has great potential, is waste collection. The district has its own trash collection and recycling program, but City Commissioner of General Services Carl Olsen thinks he can make it a lot more efficient. In return, he wants the district to emphasize recycling, a good idea in itself, but one that could also save the city in landfill costs if kids bring their good habits home with them.

And sharing services might eventually lead to other forms of cooperation. It can’t hurt.