Education Matters US

Did you know there are 200 school districts that exist in Illinois that only have 1 school? I knew there were some but did not know there were that many. The Daily Herald pointed this out last Saturday. [Emphasis mine]

School districts across Lake County are grappling with an array of critical issues from rising class sizes to meeting demands for technology. And, that says nothing of the common struggle over the lack of adequate funding, especially from the state. With that in mind, no options for saving money or streamlining operations should go unstudied, including consolidation. We applaud Antioch Elementary District 34 and Lake Villa Elementary District 41 for planning to examine that issue, and we think there are probably a few other school districts that should take a look as well. Illinois has 870 public school districts, the second highest number in the country. Of those districts, 200 are made up of a single school. In 2006, a state board of education analysis pointed out the benefits of fewer and larger school districts. They included lower administrative costs, improved administrative leadership, curriculum alignment and course offerings. It’s a big change that would require referendum approval by voters, but one that would be worth considering.

These 200 school districts not only have a principal, they have a Superintendent and their administrative staff. To save millions of dollars make each of these 200 districts a charter school. This eliminates the overhead of a Superintendent and their staff. Do not put any of these schools within the boundaries of another school district. Have the State directly fund each child who attends one of the schools. The school board stays in place as the advisory board. You now have a sizable test bed for a program to Fund the Child instead of the bureaucracy.

As a secondary note, Illinois has 870 school districts. Now you have an idea of why your property taxes are so high.