consolidation
Between 1930 and 1980, the number of schools dropped from 238,000 to 61,000 and the number of school districts from 128,000 to 16,000. Consolidation – combining two or more small schools or districts to form one larger unit – is the single most popular policy option in the United States to compensate for the challenges rural schools face and to achieve efficient, high quality schools for rural communities.

In recent years, economy-of-scale thinking has driven many decisions about rural school policy. The “bigger is better” mantra has been repeated so often that many forget to look at the evidence. Is it really true that:

• New and bigger buildings will cost less per pupil?
• Bigger schools will make it easier to attract better teachers?
• Bigger schools will allow for a richer curriculum?

Rapid changes in technology, combined with more accurate studies of rural school characteristics, have paved the way for a variety of options other than consolidation that may increase cost efficiency and educational quality in rural schools and disctricts.