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K-12 LEADERSHIP PRACTICESSchool Consolidation: What School Administrators Need to Know
Marcia MorrisonABSTRACT
School consolidation is occurring at an increasing rate in rural America and frequently it
is met with frustration and anger in communities “losing” their school. School administrators
are in the middle of the process and frequently leading it. Often they do not have the
knowledge and skills to do so. While a critical issue in rural America, education
administration programs provide little, if any, preparation for administrators on this topic.
This article provides background information and research for administrators, and the
professors who teach them, to increase knowledge on the topic. A case study of a successful
school consolidation is presented. The process used in the case study is reviewed; the
strategies that proved to be successful are shared; and, the advice of the Superintendent and
Board of Education members is offered for others who may find themselves considering a
school consolidation. Recommendations for administrative training programs are offered.
SCHOOL CONSOLDIATION: WHAT ADMINISTRATORS NEED TO KNOW
Forty-nine states have rural school districts. Of the 14,166 school districts in our nation,
8,038 are classified as rural (National Center for Education Statistics, or NCES, 2007). Only
the District of Columbia and Hawaii, which each has only one large district, do not have rural
districts. The NCES revised its method of defining school districts in 2006. The new method
classified all districts into one of the four categories of city, suburban, town, and rural. Each
category also has subcategories such as large, midsize, and small; the subcategories for rural
districts are fringe districts that lie close to an urban area, distant districts that are farther from
an urban area, and remote districts. It must be acknowledged that rural districts have fewer
students enrolled than in suburbs or cities; however, it is noteworthy that over half of all U.S.
operating school districts are in rural areas, more than in any other locale. Clearly, what
happens in rural areas is of importance to our educational system in general, and
consequently, important to school administrators.
While both the national population and student population have increased, the number of
schools and school districts has decreased. One main reason for the decline in schools and
districts is consolidation of districts. Consolidation battles continue today and school
administrators are at the center of the decision making; and yet, there is little training for
school administrators to prepare them for the experience. This paper presents knowledge
about school consolidation, background information, research on the subject, and reasons for
resistance. A case study of a successful consolidation will be presented. Drawing on the
knowledge base and case study, recommendations for administrative training programs is
presented.
Marcia Morrison, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota