School consolidation is the practice of combining two or more schools
for educational or economic benefits. A consolidated school can offer an
expanded curriculum and a more prominent identity in the community while
reducing costs through economy of scale. On the other hand, consolidation can
incur numerous liabilities, especially if the schools to be closed are the sole
providers of community services.
HOW PREVALENT IS SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION?
The trend toward consolidation of one-room schools began in l918 as a
reaction to perceived academic weakness in rural and small schools. Statistics
reveal the tremendous rate of school consolidations. Ravitch
(l984) reports that, while total enrollment in
elementary and secondary schools nearly doubled from l945 to l980 (from 23
million to 40 million), the number of schools dropped from l85,000 to under 86,000. During the l970s the number of schools
in the country declined 5 percent.
WHAT FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO CONSOLIDATION?
School consolidations have been justified on two primary grounds: the
"bigger is better" philosophy and economic efficiency. The most
powerful inducement for school consolidation is the claim that one big school
is better than two smaller schools; bigger schools provide a wider range of
curricular and extracurricular offerings.
Because school systems seldom have enough money, arguments based on
economic efficiency have also been a powerful force propelling the school
consolidation movement. In recents years, declining enrollments have been a further incentive for
consolidation.
WHAT ARE THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION?
Consolidation of schools has both curricular and financial advantages. First,
it often enables the consolidated schools to share courses and facilities. Sharing
results in a more varied curriculum because fewer classes are dropped due to
low enrollment. Expenditures for capital improvements
and basic maintenance are reduced because there is no need to upgrade or
maintain duplicate facilities.
Because consolidation often combines classes and increases their size,
fewer teachers need to be employed. Consolidated schools, moreover, do not
normally employ as many administrative personnel as did the separate schools.
Consolidation of schools also can produce psychological benefits. When
combined, schools often gain a confidence and an identity in the community they
did not previously possess (Kay 1982). Sports programs and extracurricular
activities flourish in consolidated schools because of combined funding.
WHAT ARE THE LIABILITIES OF CONSOLIDATION?
Some educators (for example, Beckner and
O'Neal 1980) stress the benefits of small schools and, thus, question the
effectiveness of school consolidations. They suggest that small schools are
able to perform functions that are impossible in larger schools. Small schools
usually provide closer relations between faculty and administration, a smaller
teacher-pupil ratio, and an enhanced potential for individualized instruction.
Opponents of school consolidation suggest that combining schools often
produces more harm than good, for the following reasons:
--More red tape
--Less participation in decision-making by teachers and adminstrators
--More tension between teachers and students
--Fewer situations for bringing about change
--More time, effort, money devoted to discipline problems
--Less parent-teacher involvement
--Less human contact, producing frustration and alienation and weakening
morale of both students and school staff
WHAT FACTORS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BEFORE CONSOLIDATION?
According to Kay (1982), a leading research analyst in the school
consolidation field, a school system "considering consolidation ought to
investigate the nature, extent, and strength of other community institutions
and social service agencies serving any community facing possible loss of its
schools."
In places where the school is the sole source of community services,
loss of the schools would be greatly felt. School officials in such cases
should be reluctant to consolidate. Conversely, communities with strong
networks of organizations and facilities are better equipped to withstand the
loss of schools through consolidation.
Finally, only discussion and debate can determine the proper weight to
be given to all elements of the consolidation issue. Concerns for economic
efficiency and school size must not outweigh the effect of school consolidation
on the community. Only by granting equal importance to all the major factors
can decision-makers ensure that "narrow concerns about formal schooling do
not unconsciously override broader educational concerns and the general
well-being of the community to which those broader educational concerns are
intimately connected" (Kay 1982).