Legislation authorizing the establishment of "central rural schools" was adopted in 1914 (Chapter 55), but only one centralization occurred before 1925 when the legislature authorized additional financial aid for these districts (Chapter 674). In 1952, the legislature authorized the Commissioner of Education to lay out enlarged city school districts by consolidating city school districts of cities having populations of less than 125,000 with areas contiguous to the city districts (Chapter 810).
The Department's role in the centralization and reorganization of school districts was first carried out by the Rural Education Bureau, established by the Board of Regents in 1923 and upgraded to Division status in 1932. During the major departmental reorganization of 1937 the functions were transferred to the new Division of School Administrative Services. In 1941, upon the death of the long time division director, the functions were transferred by the Commissioner to the Assistant Commissioner for Instructional Supervision and the Division was abolished shortly thereafter. Correspondence of this assistant commissioner (later Assistant Commissioner for Finance and School Administrative Services) relating to central school districts organized during or before school year 1946-1947 continued to be filed in this series until the 1950s. The Bureau of Rural Administrative Services was established in 1943 to take over the supervision of school district reorganization. It was renamed Bureau of School District Organization in 1964.
From the description of School district centralization and reorganization files, 1924-1974. (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 83906868
