Power of SUNY

UB Educational Service Council Helping School Districts with Tough Decisions

The word is out in Western New York - UB's Western New York Educational Service Council, a group of former school superintendents, are advising school districts on issues confronting elementary and secondary education.

Whether it's hiring a top administrator, facing consolidation, streamlining its transportation services, developing big-picture plans, more and more school districts are take cues from the UB council.

"We don't have anything to gain, so we look to the facts and the research," said Bren Price, executive director of the council since 2005 and a former teacher, principal and superintendent. "We bring a neutral yet broad-based approach to superintendent searches and the other consulting work we do. We help districts to zoom into focus what they need. Oftentimes, the data is obvious. But it's up to the districts to decide what to do and what not to do."

Recent studies and projects include a long-range finance and facilities study for Holland Central School District; a third-party administrative study for Niagara Falls; a merger study of Brocton and Fredonia Central school districts; and a technical waste disposal study for Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES.