The Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at Indiana University in Bloomington says school consolidation should be handled case by case.
Indiana Senate Bill 521, proposed in the 2009 legislative session, promoted school consolidation as a way to save money and improve schools. Indiana has 292 school districts, 49 of which have less than 1,000 students. The premise of the proposed bill was that school districts would be more efficient if smaller districts were merged with nearby larger school corporations.
In Northwest Indiana, the measure would have affected Whiting schools. The district passed an open-enrollment policy several years ago to attract more students. Last fall, it added nearly 100 students, bringing its 2009-10 enrollment to 1,025.
The report, highlighted in the Nov. 1 issue of Newsweek, says a compelling case cannot be made for consolidating schools in Indiana.
Terry Spradlin, associate director of the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy, said the study evaluated small districts with fewer than 500 students, districts with 501 to 1,000 students and large districts of more than 20,000 students. Researchers reviewed test scores, Advanced Placement testing and federal benchmarks under Adequate Yearly Progress.
Spradlin said all smaller corporations were meeting federal benchmarks, though large corporations provided more advanced coursework and students seemed to do a little better.
Over five years, however, smaller schools did a better job with expenses and using funds for classrooms.
"We need to look at consolidation on a case-by-case basis," Spradlin said. "That's not to say it shouldn't happen, but it has to be locally driven. There has been some consolidation. In 1952, Indiana had 1,115 school corporations. It's down to 292 today. In 2012-13, it's going to be 291 when Dewey Township Schools and Prairie Township Schools in LaPorte County consolidate."
The idea of absorbing smaller districts into larger ones to reduce costs and create better student performance is being discussed in about a dozen states.
Purdue University Calumet professor Robert Rivers has mixed views.
"I think you can have the best of both worlds," he said. "You can have efficiency with a large school. I think the key is breaking the large school down into smaller learning communities made up of groups of academic teachers and students who will stay together, and loop with them the next year."
Rivers said such a plan allows teachers and students to develop relationships, which is crucial to academic success. He said a large school offers students options and choices in curriculum and clubs that a small school can't offer.
He said the primary disadvantage of a small school is that it doesn't offer the breadth of coursework or learning experience that a larger school can offer.
Linda Woloshansky, president and CEO of the Valparaiso-based Center of Workforce Innovations, said smaller learning communities are producing quality graduates.
"The students have an opportunity to interact with each other and develop better relationships with teachers and staff," she said. "That model allows for more individual attention. That's why large schools break down the programming into academics and small learning communities. It makes sense that there is consolidation as long as the focus stays on the student. Consolidation enables schools to be more efficient and reduce administrative costs."