NORMATIVE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL FACTORS RELATING TO THE PROCESS OF SCHOOL REDISTRICTING AND CONSOLIDATION WERE IDENTIFIED AND DESCRIBED, AND SOME OF THE INTERRELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THESE FACTORS DETERMINED. SUCH DATA COULD BE USED DURING A SCHOOL DISTRICT REORGANIZATION PROCESS BY BOTH EDUCATORS AND ADMINISTRATORS TO MINIMIZE TENSION AND MITIGATE THE…

A STUDY WAS MADE OF A REPRESENTATIVE MIDWESTERN SCHOOL DISTRICT TO DETERMINE SCHOOL LEADERS' AWARENESS OF (1) INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE INFLUENTIAL IN THE DECISIONMAKING PROCESS FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT REORGANIZATION AND (2) ACTIONS PERFORMED BY EACH INFLUENTIAL INDIVIDUAL IN THE DECISIONAL PROCESS. THE RESEARCH PROCEDURE INCLUDES IDENTIFICATION AND RANK…

The proposed merger of the Rye City and Rye Neck school districts in Westchester County, New York, is described. An overview of the two school systems is presented, with a discussion of the principles and issues involved in the proposed merger. Based on hypothetical data for future years, an examination is made of enrollment expectations, facility…

Considers the moral/philosophical issue of integrating Catholic schools, the impact of such a decision on parish life, the administrative, technical, and educational concerns. Also presents four ways to integrate the schools with an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of each model. (RK)

Presents some of the arguments and reviews the research on small school districts. Based on experiences in Indiana, contends that consolidated school superiority is exaggerated. With proper planning and innovation, small schools can effectively share human, material, and financial resources. Eighteen references are provided. (MLF)

Examines some examples of how school boards draw attendance lines. (IRT)

School systems are driven to redraw boundaries by population growth and changing geographic distribution of the student population. To make a safe passage, administrators must plan the crossing, prepare a comprehensive road map, and carry the community along. Goals statements should specify educational objectives as well as school loading, fiscal,…

Describes the historical development of educational service agencies in U.S. public education, highlighting agencies' administrative and instructional functions, organizational patterns and characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, and future roles. Because of advances in data transmission, shifts in service delivery philosophy, and limited…

Examines the stress experienced by 10 teachers involved in a school merger in North England. Teachers were interviewed twice prior to the merger and once after. Results confirm the stressful nature of school mergers. The most acute stress probably stemmed from the uncertainty and lack of information provided, coupled with the threat of…

Describes the Hong Kong Education Department's School Management Initiatives (SMI) scheme, a decentralizing reform scheme based on lessons from the business and industrial sectors. Shows that the SMI has been successful at the school level but not at the system level. Summarizes suggestions for improving the reform scheme. (DSK)

Describes a Texas principal's experience of overseeing the consolidation of three elementary schools into a larger facility for nearly 1,000 students. The 3 years spent designing, building, and moving into the new facility were both exhilarating and exhausting. Advice on handling frustrations is provided. (MLH)

On the surface, Michael Moher's major challenges as a superintendent do not seem so foreign from any other leader who is responsible for the education of 28,000 students. He has been grappling in recent years with budget shortfalls, school closings, a couple of dissident board members and even a week-long teacher's strike. Moher runs a Catholic…

Background/Context: Unlike the situation nationally where desegregation progress is faltering, the school district in Rock Hill, South Carolina, has recently undertaken measures to increase balance in pupil assignment despite considerable local opposition to these measures and the absence of a court order requiring the district to do so. Moreover,…

Area service agencies have been structured in many states to enhance service while preserving local school districts. A variety of patterns of cooperation have developed. In North Dakota a study team considered issues, based on the organizational and financial characteristics of existing area service agencies, about the organization of the…

When schools are closed due to declining student enrollment, students and materials must be relocated to a central facility. Problems encountered in consolidating the school libraries may include overcrowding of the central library, excessive duplication of material and equipment, and overwhelming clerical tasks for the librarian in charge of the…