Critical Issues - Eliminating Small Schools

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Eliminating Small Schools – Consolidation

As schools from all across the nation suffer from both federal and state budget cuts school boards ponder whether or not to eliminate small schools and merge with neighboring schools districts is a way make up for the loss. There are many different pros and cons for consolidating and many different opinions based on those. Coming from a small school I am against merging school districts, I enjoyed the atmosphere and feel that I had more opportunities. However, I will admit that every circumstance is different and will show positive factors for both sides.
As with most things in today’s society the biggest reason for schools to consolidate is money. By merging schools together who are having trouble supporting all their departments they are able to pool their money together for better facilities and more programs for the students. This helps to prevent the communities from having to drive their tax levees up to support the struggling schools. Communities all across the country are trying to hold on to their struggling schools suffering from decline in enrollment and dwindling budgets. Keeping the schools in these small communities costs a high price and local taxpayers have taken on this commitment at “all costs”.
Even with the taxpayer’s generosity, students in the smaller towns will never see the advanced courses offered in the larger districts. A lot of students that are dissatisified with the education that they are receiving are drawn to the bigger programs through open-enrollment. This adds to the smaller schools problems with enrollment but does allows the students the option of partaking in the those classes. The options are not limited to classes as there are also more extra-curricular activities available in the bigger schools. Special-needs classes is a program that can create maney problems for a smaller school. If the school is not equipped with the pr...