Consolidations

[coastfootballfanman]

With all of the talk here lately about schools considering consolidation and those that are going forward with it. What are some schools you think would benefit from consolidating? I am curious how many schools across the state could benefit from this and if it is something MDE or MHSAA should try to push to make happen. 

[MSSportsGuy]

The MHSAA will never push anything and MDE generally stays out of consolidation.

I think many areas of the state would benefit from consolidating some of their smaller schools which are in aging or poorly maintained facilities. Local resistance usually comes in the forms of:

1. Racial issues of creating an imbalance or perceived imbalance

2. Athletics and students and parents being forced to compete with a larger number of students in a school for playing time or a starting spot. School consolidations will almost always see an increase in any private school enrollment nearby in part due to this. 

3. Traditions, which are in part athletic driven but also involve family history

4. Loss of power or influence, from parents and school leadership

 

Those factors are holding quite a few communities back and sadly the tunnel vision for many adults who can't see the forest for the trees will prevent this from happening until they are forced. 

 

What should get more attention is the reduction in the number of school districts in some counties in the state with more than one highly paid school superintendent and moderately paid office staff for a small population. My home county growing up is one of those places where there are two school districts with two boards, leadership, and structures. This is small, north Mississippi county with literally no reason to have this in place other than "it's the way it's always been" and clearly there is no will to change it. District consolidation can happen without school consolidation but if any discussion of the "C" word comes up it drives fear into the hearts of some community members, often in reference to one of the 4 things mentioned above.

 

The state legislature got involved and forced several district consolidations which led to the reorganization of many small districts that may have only had one or two schools. I don't know if the ultimate goal of saving money or improving quality ever happened to the degree they were promised but it's tough to argue against paying someone a 6 figure salary to oversee a district with fewer students than a big high school in DeSoto or Harrison County. 

 

I'm pretty familiar with Mississippi public education and firmly believe more district consolidation should happen across the state, but it would take being forced by the legislature to do it as no one would want to give up their power or position. I will stop short of naming names of schools or school districts because every situation is different but few would argue district consolidation is needed but it isn't needed in "their district" if it gets mentioned. 

 

 

[Rebel Bert]

Districts with 1A, 2A, 3A schools will be the ones to Consolidate. Whether it improves grades or not TBD. Costs of less teachers, and administrators vs extra fuel costs TBD. I think the private schools will grow. Most of those districts are up north. It didn't help with grades in the 70s.