LM Jan 2020

Consolidation ... cont’d.

Cullerton’s legislation proposed having the task force set maximum tax rates of what each newly formed unit district could levy. In order to provide property tax relief, the levy would have to be less than what residents were paying previously. That creates a potentially massive problem for the new unit district having to pay additional salary cost with a levy that doesn’t generate enough revenue. The cuts that might be necessary to solve that conundrum are substantial and should be entirely analyzed before a final decision is reached. Problem3: AdministrativeCost SavingsNot Guaranteed One of the claims made by supporters is consolidation would save money on administrative costs because there would be fewer administrators to pay. While this sounds logical on the surface, it’s not that simple in reality. If school districts consolidate, the unit district will have a significantly larger staff and more diverse student body to serve. In order to meet the needs of the new students and staff, it is likely the makeup of the central office will have to change as well. Therefore, the proposed administrative savings aren’t guaranteed. In many cases, the new unit district will have to hire additional staff (assistant superintendents or other administrators) to handle the responsibilities previously performed by the superintendent. In fact, in an article written by the Better Government Association on school consolidation, none of the superintendents interviewed that were involved in a consolidation said their new districts experienced a decrease in administrative costs after consolidation. Problem4: BetterWays toPool Resources One benefit supporters of consolidation claim is consolidation might allow for a pooling of resources for academic needs and education personnel. For example, if two neighboring school districts are struggling to provide for classes and/or extracurricular

activities, they might be able to consolidate and combine their resources to bolster their curricula and extracurricular opportunities. Supporters have also argued consolidation of elementary and high school districts would be a way to align the curriculum from a student’s early years through graduation. However, this can happen now without forcing consolidation. Every day, school districts across the state partner together in everything from career pathway programs, athletics, extra-curricular activities, special education services and certain educational programs. Local leaders seek out these opportunities on their own for situations where it makes the most sense. Currently in Illinois, 28 school districts have entered into shared-superintendent agreements. School districts are also saving taxpayer dollars by having superintendents serve as building principals. In the 2018–19 school year, 115 educators were both a principal and a superintendent. It’s also important to note there is nothing stopping elementary and high school districts from collaborating about curriculum and student instruction. The process of the two districts communicating with each other about academic programs is called articulation and many school districts across the state already employ it today. Problem5: Bigger isNot AlwaysBetter In its study, the Classrooms First Commission reached the conclusion that bigger is not always better when it comes to the size of school districts. The tax force analyzed existing research on optimal district size and looked at 2011 Illinois Report Card data to determine general patterns. The report found, “The economies of scale that result when small districts combine becomes bureaucratic bloat when larger districts merge. Small districts and small schools provide the best education to at-risk students. The largest districts often outspend, but do not always out-perform their small- and medium-sized districts.” Illinois State University Center for the Study of Education Policy came to a similar conclusion in a report it issued on school consolidation in 2011. The ISU report concluded that consolidation is not a “one size fits all” proposition and that sometimes it makes fiscal and educational sense to consolidate, and sometimes it does not.

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LM January 2020