Small School Districts

School & District Management Video Merging Small School Districts: Showdown in Vermont
With a plummeting student enrollment and skyrocketing education costs, Vermont lawmakers decided last year to begin an ambitious and controversial experiment to consolidate its vast system of public schools. The law, Act 46, intends to dramatically reduce the number of districts in the mostly rural state-there are currently 280 of them-by 2020 using a series of tax incentives. Supporters argue that by sharing resources more efficiently, the state will save millions of dollars and give students access to academically rigorous programs and more electives like the arts. But opponents say the initiative stabs at the very heart of Vermont, with its hundreds of tiny school houses and, more importantly, Vermonters' deeply-felt sense of local control. In this report, John Tulenko of Education Week profiles a northern region of Vermont where residents are sharply divided on whether to combine its five school districts. Read more about this issue on edweek.org. This video aired on PBS NewsHour on May 31, 2016.
June 3, 2016
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6:36
Equity & Diversity News in Brief Court Orders Miss. District to Desegregate Schools
Despite the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision striking down racially segregated public schools, one small Mississippi district had resisted—until now.
Corey Mitchell, May 31, 2016
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1 min read
School & District Management Opinion For School Districts, Smaller Can Mean Better
Big districts get all the attention. Their leaders make headlines. They 100,000+ students; 10,000+ teachers. What they often don't have is the best results for students, writes Arun Ramanathan.
Arun Ramanathan, December 17, 2015
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4 min read
Education News in Brief Okla. District Being Probed for Misuse of Funds
A small Oklahoma school district is under investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Education's inspector general for the alleged misappropriation of at least $235,000 over a five-year period.
The Associated Press, December 1, 2015
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1 min read
School & District Management Small Districts Tally $1 Billion in Annual Unnecessary Spending, Report Says
A new report estimates small, nonremote school districts account for $1 billion in funds that wouldn't have to be spent if they were larger.
Diette Courrégé Casey, August 14, 2013
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1 min read
School & District Management Report: States Could Save Millions By Consolidating Small Districts
The Center for American Progress has released a new report suggesting that school districts could improve efficiency by consolidating small districts.
Jaclyn Zubrzycki, August 8, 2013
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3 min read
Education Rural New York Districts Look to Innovate to Overcome Funding Challenges
Small, rural New York school districts are continuing to explore ideas to combat declining enrollment and funds.
Diette Courrégé Casey, June 21, 2013
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1 min read
Teaching Opinion Investing in Tech to Turn the Tides in Wheatland
Jason Tadlock helped turned around a tough situation in a small K-8 district outside Milwaukee by investing in technology and teachers.
Tom Vander Ark, June 21, 2013
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2 min read
Education South Dakota Gives Small Districts New Option to Avoid Consolidation
South Dakota law has required school districts with fewer than 100 students to reorganize, but a change in state law gives those small districts a new option to avoid that fate.
Diette Courrégé Casey, May 21, 2013
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2 min read
Education Oklahoma Eyes Consolidation for Small, Rural Schools
Oklahoma's governor has told the state it's time to talk about restructuring schools, and consolidation is a big part of that conversation.
Diette Courrégé Casey, October 15, 2012
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1 min read
Education Charter School Funding Can Hurt Small Districts
The way charter schools are funded can have serious effects on the budgets of small, rural districts, according to new analysis from the Rural School and Community Trust.
Diette Courrégé Casey, August 24, 2012
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1 min read
Education Funding Will Small Districts Even Bother Competing in New Race to Top?
More than half of the nation's school districts are not eligible to apply on their own for the Race to the Top competition for districts because their enrollments are too small.
Michele McNeil, August 15, 2012
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1 min read
Education Rural Superintendents Share Financial Success Secrets
In a new study, a group of rural Texas superintendents highlight a number of strategies to maintain their districts' financial well-being.
Diette Courrégé Casey, September 26, 2011
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4 min read
Law & Courts News in Brief Lawsuit Links Rural Schools, National Security
Supporters of a small Arkansas school district sued the state late last month, claiming that the closure of rural schools threatens the country's security and food supply.
The Associated Press, July 13, 2010
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1 min read
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