Transportation, curriculum development, staff training, evaluation systems, technology, accounting functions and food service, among other things, would be centralized. SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION: Michigan May Not Benefit Like Florida, Mackinac Says
August 24, 2013
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Should school districts all be county-wide?
That idea has been pushed by State Superintendent Mike Flanagan on the basis it will save money.
But an influential think tank, the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland, says the cost savings are exaggerated.
Mackinac's education analyst Audrey Spaulding says a 2007 study showed the ideal district is 2,900 students.
Any larger, and costs begin to rise, she wrote.
Flanagan is proposing that school districts be required to centralize certain services at the county or regional level.
Transportation, curriculum development, staff training, evaluation systems, technology, accounting functions and food service, among other things, would be centralized.
Penn State University education analysts say: "While advocates for consolidation commonly cite fiscal imperatives based upon economies of scale, opponents have responded with evidence undermining this argument and pointing out the prominent position of the rural school in the economic and social development of community."
Additionally, evidence continues to build demonstrating the advantages of small schools in attaining higher levels of student achievement. Larger schools, in contrast, have been shown to increase transportation costs, raise dropout rates, lower student involvement in extra-curricular activities, and harm rural communities' sense of place.
Consolidation in Michigan is not a new idea: Former Gov. Jennifer Granholm proposed spending money in 2010 to encourage districts to consolidate.
Despite officials' interest, research shows that bigger school districts aren't always better.
Mackinac Center research found that that as school districts increased in size above the 2,900 student threshold, per-pupil spending increased.
The study also found that districts tend to spend more money when they can raise more money from taxpayers. This suggests that school funding may be an issue of incentives, instead of an issue of district size.
In his letter to Michigan legislators urging them to consider consolidation, Flanagan pointed to Florida's county-wide districts as evidence that consolidation would work, noting that Florida districts spend as little as $6,800 per pupil.
But while highlighting Florida's relatively low per-pupil expenditures, Flanagan failed to mention that Florida has very different education policies than Michigan.
As documented in the Center's recent study comparing Michigan and Florida, Florida policies include private school choice, a school accountability system that focuses on student educational growth, expanded alternative certification for teachers and the elimination of social promotion of third graders who are not proficient in reading. Michigan has yet to implement any of these reforms.
Florida schools have seen dramatic improvement in recent years. But that improvement, along with the state's relatively stable per-pupil expenditures, has nothing to do with consolidation. After all, Florida has had county-wide districts for decades. Florida's improvement is likely attributable to the state's recent education policy changes.
From a political standpoint, consolidation is an easy proposal.
Suggesting that Michigan's education woes are due to smaller school districts allows school officials to avoid addressing outdated forms of teacher compensation, district mismanagement, or the tough work that needs to be done to provide students with high-quality educational options.
Disturbingly, Flanagan's proposal could undo the cost savings districts have achieved through privatization.
According to Center research, more than 60 percent of Michigan school districts have privatized major non-instructional services. New contracting alone during the 2012-13 school year saved taxpayers an estimated $12.8 million. If this proposal requires districts to contract with public-sector unions instead of outsourcing services to the best bidder, costs could be substantial.
To replicate Florida's success, Michigan legislators should look at the state's larger and more meaningful education policy reforms. Consolidation, at best, would do little, Mackinac concludes.
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