School policy is a delicate issue. It requires open, honest, respectful and compassionate conversations. It is a particularly challenging issue in which to engage in dialogue because at the center are two polarizing elements: children and money.
Frequently, the outcry in reaction to the consolidation of school districts is because many think the weaker schools will bring down their successful sibling schools. As a parent, this is a valid concern. No responsible father or mother wants his or her child’s education to be threatened. Such a parental impulse is usually the source of this anxiety. Perhaps what is really needed is an adjustment of perspective.
Consolidated school districts, especially in Starkville’s case, stand to gain a great deal. Starkville’s public schools are in a unique position to partner with Mississippi State University, a partnership which doubtless will prove fruitful for the newly consolidated school district. According to Parents for Public Schools of Starkville, “increased collaborations between (MSU and Starkville-Oktibbeha CSD) will take place at all levels in the future.” Perhaps the comfort of partnering with Mississippi’s premier research university will quell the fears of underperformance seeping into the new school district.
In addition to the benefits of partnering with a flagship university, John Yinger and William Duncombe of Syracuse University note “the main justification for school district consolidation has long been that it is a way to cut costs.”
Cutting costs is central to the success of a school district, especially one that intends to give its students the best education and learning experience possible. Financial relief may give school administrators the opportunity to invest elsewhere: new classroom equipment, better technological resources for mathematics and science, more expansive libraries and any number of other opportunities to enrich the learning experience of students.
School districts with more cash in their pockets are able to do more to help their students succeed. Two sociologists at Ohio State University, Dennis Condron and Vincent Roscigno, recently conducted a study that drew on the following idea: “the American system of public education is one in which the amount of wealth in a school district shapes the quality of its schools.”
They go on to posit that “the most important function of spending is instructional. Instructional funds are used for teachers’ salaries, textbooks and various other material supplies related to classroom instruction.”
Thus, Condron and Roscigno’s research shows how important cutting costs really is and how meaningful those saved dollars can be when put towards increasing opportunities for innovative technology in the classroom and courting better teachers with higher salaries. If teachers are really as important as American society loves to say they are, we should really start paying them like it. The first step in fixing inequality of education is championing equality of spending in the public school system.
The personal and social benefits must also be considered. The issue of equality is at the forefront of this debate. Students in a failing school are by definition not receiving the same education as their successful counterparts. Regardgin the consolidation, Oktibbeha County Representative Gary Chism said, “we know (SSD doesn’t) want this, but we know there are 870 students in the county that need an equal education and they’re not getting it now.”
Consolidation is not all rainbows and butterflies. There will be hurdles to overcome and clunky logistics that may cause the new consolidated district to stumble. Transportation costs will go up because many students will have to travel farther to get to their new schools. The key question at hand, without sounding too crass, is one of equality. How much inconvenience is a child’s education worth? Should we, in the spirit of loving our neighbors, be willing to drive a few extra miles to give others a chance at the same education? The answer is a resounding yes. As Chism said, there are 870 students who do not receive the education they need to provide a strong foundation for the rest of their educational career and beyond. Perhaps instead of seeing consolidation as an inconvenience, we as a community should see consolidation as an opportunity to come alongside the struggling schools in our community and walk the path to achievement together.
