Consolidation 2026 and beyond

[Rebel Bert]

Baldwyn and Booneville School Districts are working on a merger plan. The schools will remain open.

[Bulldogs4]

I look for many school districts to be consolidated going forward. Not necessarily closing very many actual schools but there is so much flab in every School District Office that eventually the taxpayers are going to revolt and force the legislature to combine districts. There should be one per county. 82 total. There are currently 138. That is way too many.

Money or the lack of will demand that this happen in the years ahead. 

[Rebel Bert]

41 minutes ago, Bulldogs4 said:

I look for many school districts to be consolidated going forward. Not necessarily closing very many actual schools but there is so much flab in every School District Office that eventually the taxpayers are going to revolt and force the legislature to combine districts. There should be one per county. 82 total. There are currently 138. That is way too many.

Money or the lack of will demand that this happen in the years ahead. 

Agree

[MSSportsGuy]

This is a good, proactive move by the districts. 

 

Baldwyn, Nettleton, and Union are small districts spread across two counties as their towns are on the lines. Lumberton was as well years ago had a forced consolidation with Lamar County Schools. I think the students who were zoned for Lumberton but lived in Pearl River County were allowed to continue at Lumberton and did not move to PRC but I'm not 100% sure.

 

Along with my many posts about the stupidity of 7 classes, I've been just as vocal about the need for district consolidation. There should be many more. District consolidation does not have to lead to local school closures just reduced administration and fewer school boards and taxation variances. Does it save a ton of money? Not necessarily that much in the big picture, but in a time of declining school enrollments and lack of adequate funds, this is mostly a good thing.

 

I'd love to see more voluntarily make the move but it will likely be a fight in most communities. 

[pancho]

I'm told that due to some schools being classified as minority districts that they can't be forced to consolidate with another school.  Is this true?

[maroontide06]

2 hours ago, MSSportsGuy said:

This is a good, proactive move by the districts. 

 

Baldwyn, Nettleton, and Union are small districts spread across two counties as their towns are on the lines. Lumberton was as well years ago had a forced consolidation with Lamar County Schools. I think the students who were zoned for Lumberton but lived in Pearl River County were allowed to continue at Lumberton and did not move to PRC but I'm not 100% sure.

 

Along with my many posts about the stupidity of 7 classes, I've been just as vocal about the need for district consolidation. There should be many more. District consolidation does not have to lead to local school closures just reduced administration and fewer school boards and taxation variances. Does it save a ton of money? Not necessarily that much in the big picture, but in a time of declining school enrollments and lack of adequate funds, this is mostly a good thing.

 

I'd love to see more voluntarily make the move but it will likely be a fight in most communities. 

Lumberton got absorbed into the Lamar County School District, so the kids that live in the North part of Pearl River County fall within the Lamar County School District since it got absorbed.  The issue will arise if they ever close Lumberton because Poplarville School District doesn't want to lose those kids in the Northern part of the county.  They would just want to keep the Pearl River County kids in Pearl River County and the Lamar County kids could go to Purvis.  So to keep things from getting messy, they have to keep Lumberton open.  I honestly think if they ever close Lumberton, everyone that falls within the old Lumberton School District would wind up going to Purvis anyway.  That's a battle that I don't think Pearl River County would win.