NEW PALTZ – State Education Commissioner Dr. John King made the comments during a visit to several schools in Ulster County.

Some of New York's 559 school districts will be forced to merge, and/or consolidate services, like transportation, business office, special classes, and football teams, he said.

King toured Ulster County on Thursday, visiting Kingston High School and SUNY New Paltz. He spoke Thursday evening at Ulster BOCES in New Paltz to the Ulster County School Boards Association.

"I learned about the region, and also heard very concrete examples of the work that people are doing," King said.  "We need to insure that students are college and career ready when they graduate. It's incumbent on us to figure out “things we can do to better leverage resources, to help students achieve," the commissioner said. “We've got to find a way to do that even with all the fiscal challenges the districts are facing.”

King dismissed concerns about new evaluation standards throwing off statewide grade curves. "Evaluation is part of learning.”

King added that political will is required, and tax reform, to steer districts from bankruptcy. He compared the education sector to Detroit.

"There was a time when labor and management took the position that 'we just can't change.' – What happened to them was change, outside their control.” King said.  “The environment changed around them, and many of those jobs and companies don't exist anymore."