Consolidation of public school districts - who benefits? I need some input...

[truth2power]

In my local Sunday paper yesterday, there was a lengthy front page article about how Ohio Gov. Kasich wants to have the legislature create a commission to explore consolidation of some of Ohio's 614 school districts. This commission, he says, "will do their own research." :eyes:

Furthermore, according to the governor, "It's going to be a commission that is going to look at what they do around the country, what the research has shown." Of course the article cites a February, 2011, report by the National Education Policy Center and Ohio University that does just that. I found and downloaded the report, but haven't had time to read it yet. According to the news article, though, the study"...found that, most often, consolidation brings neither cost savings nor academic improvement."

given that the governor said, in his State of the State message, "And Teach for America is coming to Ohio" - to the resounding cheers of the sheeple - I'm wary of his motives.

So my question is this: What's in this for Gov. Kasich (who IIRC, was affiliated with ALEC at some point in the past)? What's the back-story on consolidation? Whose interests does it serve and how?

I'd really appreciate any input, links to articles etc. I don't believe Gov. Kasich is pushing this because he cares about Ohio's school children.

Thanks in advance.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Depends on your particular circumstances.

I live in a town whose residents are lower middle class, some are poor. If there were regionalization, our school system could be consolidated into a group of towns whose residents make more money and pay more taxes. That consolidation would mean that some of the tax money from the better-off towns could go toward the expenses of my town's school system, e.g., teachers' salaries, supplies, programs.

Conversely, while the better-off towns in my example won't get the same benefits my town gets, they will save money by eliminating the salaries of their respective superintendents, business administrators of the schools, etc. as only one will be needed to oversee 2-3 towns as a regional system.

[MineralMan]

2. Well, it lowers administrative costs, for one thing.

It can equalize school expenditures, too, when districts have different tax bases. Those are plusses, but there can also be many negatives, having to do with central control and lack of local authority. For example, a consolidated district can move teachers and capital equipment around in ways that harm one school to the benefit of another "more desirable" school. The disliked school gets all the bad teachers, the old buses, and the worn-out equipment. And so on. In some cases, consolidation makes racial discrimination easier, as well.

[Blue Meany]

3. In Maine, the state passed a law requiring consolidation of

districts on pain of losing state funding. It was sold as a way to save money, but really it was a cover for cuts in state spending that had already been decided on. Based on our experience, I would strongly discourage this "one-size-fits-all" approach. Some of the new districts are saving a little bit of money. However, many of the consolidated districts are spending more, not less, because of the costs of transportation, harmonizing pay-scales of former districts (which means raising salaries in the poorer ones) and for other reasons. Some districts refused to consolidate and lost state subsidies, because they determined that they would still be better off financially. If cutting has to be done, it is better to let locals determine how best to do it rather than impose consolidations as a cure-all. There are some things that can be consolidated for savings, such as purchasing equipment and supplies, insurance, etc.

[truth2power]

4. Thanks, meany , and those upthread, for the input....

I'm going to take time later this afternoon to read the report and post some of its points here.

Here's the link to the report, for anyone interested.

Consolidation of Schools And Districts: What the Research Says And What it Means.

http://nepc.colorado.edu/files/PB-Consol-Howley-Johnson-Petrie.pdf