When it comes to education, not all spending is equal. Some education dollars are spent more productively than others. In a time of lagging revenues and flat achievement in many districts, policymakers have increasingly started to pay greater attention to the question of whether education systems are getting the most out of every education dollar.…

This report synthesizes the experience-based ideas that emerged from small group interaction at the 16th annual Montana Rural Education Conference, which focused on the pros and cons of school district consolidation. Conferees first heard from panelists and speakers expressing a spectrum of positive and negative positions on the consolidation…

This analysis outlines the costs and savings that would accrue if all elementary school districts in Missoula County (Montana) were consolidated or unified with Missoula County High School District for the 1993-94 school year. Following a listing of the 12 K-8 districts to be consolidated and their populations, 6 of the superintendents involved…

This document summarizes presentations and discussions on school consolidation that took place at the 1994 Rural Education Conference held at Western Montana College. The summaries cover the following: (1) a panel discussion on the politics of school consolidation (influences on public opinion, need for balance between state and local control, and…

In response to a Montana School Boards Association (MSBA) resolution, this report develops alternatives and recommendations on school district reorganization for submission to the Montana state legislature. The first section examines the history of school district establishment and consolidation in Montana, and points out public opposition to…