LM Jan 2020

Problem6: Transportation Issues Anytime school districts consolidate, it will inevitably cause changes to the transportation of students. The logistical challenges around each consolidation will be different, but it is inevitable the newly formed district will encounter at least one, and possibly all, of the following issues: 1. Longer bus rides for students. 2. Elementary students riding the bus with high school students for the first time. 3. Changes to school start and dismissal times. 4. Deciding what transportation system to use (will the new district own its buses, lease its buses or contract transportation services to a vendor). In rural areas especially, a forced consolidation could significantly prolong the bus ride for students. Determining how much longer would require further examination, which may not be possible if the legislation that emerges doesn’t allow time for feasibility studies to be conducted. Another hurdle the newly formed district would have to overcome is the new dynamic where first graders, for example, share a bus with ninth and 10th graders. In feasibility studies he’s conducted, Dr. Phillips said this new dynamic is what outrages elementary parents the most. There’s also the possibility start and dismissal times will need to be staggered to save money and maximize efficiency of new bus routes. Any change to start and dismissal times could be a major disruption for families. Lastly, it’s also possible the districts that consolidate will utilize different transportation systems, where, for example, one of the districts has its own fleet of buses and the other contracts busing out. Determining what transportation system to use is feasible, but it is a challenge that has to be addressed. Problem7: CommunitiesWant Local Control It goes without saying that forced consolidation would strip away local control. It could also put districts into a situation where they are forced to consolidate, even though it does not make fiscal or educational sense to do so. That’s why it will always be the belief of IASA that local communities, and not legislators, are best equipped to understand and respond to the needs of their communities.

History has also shown the idea does not have widespread support when a forced consolidation plan is put forward at the statehouse. Jim Thompson was a popular governor in Illinois from 1977 to 1991. After being elected a third time, Thompson adopted an education reform plan that was supportive of consolidation. In 1985, he signed legislation that included forced feasibility studies for all school districts and set forth minimum enrollment requirements for districts. The idea caused a firestorm for Thompson and became a major campaign issue between him and his challenger, Adlai Stevenson III. Thompson ultimately backtracked and repealed the consolidation provisions the following March. InConclusion IASA believes a one-size-fits-all approach to consolidating schools has too many pitfalls and is not in the best interest of students. There are simply too many factors to consider, which is why consolidation has to be a local decision. It’s also important to keep in mind the number of school districts in Illinois actually has declined dramatically. Since World War II, Illinois has seen the number of school districts drop from nearly 12,000 to 852 through voluntary consolidation, annexations, deactivations, state incentives and the General Assembly giving unit districts financial parity with dual districts. However, it is true the rate of consolidation has slowed down in recent years. Between 1983 and 2019, there were 62 consolidations, mainly in rural communities. The bulk of the consolidations occurred in the latter half of the 1980s and early part of the 1990s. While we understand the desire to lower property taxes in Illinois, we don’t believe forcing schools to consolidate is the answer. If lawmakers want to reduce the number of school districts, a better alternative would be to rethink the current incentive system and pump additional dollars into the program. At the end of the day, if school districts are provided the

Consolidation isn’t the only district reorganization method.

resources to consolidate in a way that makes it economically feasible, the school mascot will no longer be the hardest animal to kill in Illinois.

Learn about others here .

9

LM January 2020