At an April 16 meeting of the Building Utilization Advisory Committee, Pine Plains Central School District officials presented financial data estimating that closing Cold Spring Early Learning Center in Stanfordville would save about $1.21 million, compared with about $1.20 million for closing Seymour Smith Elementary School in Pine Plains — a difference of $13,828.94.
The committee of 25 people — including three residents from each town the district serves — was formed on Feb. 3 to evaluate the educational impact of school consolidation, which may become necessary because of declining enrollment and state budget cuts.
At the meeting at Cold Spring, the board estimated the potential savings by dividing the district’s total budget by each school’s enrollment share. Currently, Cold Spring accounts for $5.9 million, Seymour Smith for $7.8 million, and Stissing Mountain High School for $20.8 million.
After accounting for building aid and rent, plus the estimated reductions in staff benefits, maintenance costs, and insurance, Superintendent Brian Timm said, “It looks as if Cold Spring would save about $1.2 million, and then Seymour would be about $1.1 million.”
Several committee members pushed back, asking for a more granular look at each building’s structure and finances. In response, Timm agreed to bring the Building Condition Survey Report to a future session, and said many of the details of how the consolidation might work would likely become clearer during the committee’s next meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 30, at Seymour Smith Intermediate Learning Center.
Renee Rundall, president of the Pine Plains Federation of Educators, said she has no preference for which building is closed. She urged the committee to think ahead while discussing the immediate needs, referring to the possibility of moving the entire student population — from pre-K through 12th grade — into Stissing High School, an option introduced by Timm at the board’s first community forum addressing the issue, on Nov. 12, 2025.
“If we have this momentum for a larger plan, a five-year plan, that we’re all going to be on one campus, if we can get that plan moving and going as we’re doing this here, then maybe it does make sense for us to go to Seymour,” Rundall said. “But the short-term and long-term plan have to be connected.”
The board also shared that based on the current enrollment, consolidating Cold Spring into Seymour Smith could cut daily bus mileage nearly in half — from 1,048 miles to 568 miles. That would reduce the number of daily runs from 12 to nine, which would free up two drivers and allow them to bring back two routes currently contracted out to First Student, a school bus company. The estimated savings from those returned routes is $200,000 per year, the board said.
Timm noted that upcoming requirements for electric school buses and potential new air conditioning installations could carry significant costs for the district, and said he intends to bring those figures to the next meeting.
The committee agreed that community members with questions or concerns should contact their town’s committee representatives in order to keep the flow of information organized as the group continues its work. Interested residents of the district can find their representatives on the PPCSD website.
Correction: A previous version of this article overstated the difference in estimated savings between closing Cold Spring Early Learning Center and Seymour Smith Elementary School. According to a district financial document, closing Cold Spring was projected to save $1,210,683.53, while closing Seymour Smith was projected to save $1,196,854.59 — a difference of $13,828.94, not about $100,000. The article has been updated to reflect the figures in the district document.
It makes me sad to see two large buses come down Turkey Hill many times a day with a super large bus that is basically empty. Using the smaller buses may save quite a bit of money.