Western Michigan University Professor Walter Burt says “There are no secrets when it comes to school consolidation. It needs to be transparent.”
Burt says consolidating school districts is more than bringing students together. He says parents, staff and communities are also part of the process. Burt and his fellow Professor from Western Michigan University’s Educational Leadership and Technology, Joe Kretovics joined WMUK’s Gordon Evans to discuss school district mergers and consolidation.
Albion and Marshall are considering a plan where Marshall would annex the Albion School District. Albion already sends its high school and middle school students to Marshall. Kretovics it’s important for district officials need to spell out why they are considering closing schools or becoming part of another school district.
Albion and Marshall are very different communities. They have different economic, racial and ethnic demographics. Burt says school officials have to address cultural differences among students and staff. He says that includes additional training for teachers. Kretovics says administrators also need to be trained about merging two very different school districts. He says the focus has to be on providing the best education possible. But Kretovics says there are many other emotional factors involved in school mergers.
Kretovics says one of the major problems with school mergers is “tracking,” where students are “sorted” be their perceived abilities. Kretovics says the students end up being placed based on perceptions which are shaped by race, ethnicity and class. Burt says that the quality of education students receive is based on where they get placed.
Asked about the link between the size of the district and the quality of education, Burt says there are excellent school districts of all sizes. But he says downsizing is difficult because it means closing buildings and cutting staff. Kretovics agrees that quality isn’t necessarily linked to the size of a district. But he says districts need to consider factors such as travel time if a school district covers a large geographic area.
Kretovics says school consolidation is being caused by cuts in education funding. Burt agrees, and says a district that is losing population often faces costs related to infrastructure and older buildings. He says that makes even more difficult for districts to provide a quality education.
