LM May.2021_FINAL

School District Consolidation: New Dissertation Research Details Illinois Superintendent Perceptions, and Why it Needs to Remain a Local Decision

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Why did you choose to research school consolidation for your

Q&A with Dave Deets Superintendent of Harmony Emge SD #175 Proposals to consolidate school districts in Illinois have been a recurring theme in the Illinois General Assembly over the years. One of the most recent examples was HB 7, which was aimed at consolidating high school and elementary districts into unit districts by forcing local referendums. The bill was opposed by IASA, along with numerous other stakeholders, and was defeated soundly in the Illinois House. However, the idea has its supporters and likely isn’t going away. For his dissertation, Dave Deets, superintendent of Harmony Emge SD #175 in Belleville, researched school district consolidation to learn more about how Illinois superintendents perceive the issue, what the research says about costs and perceived academic benefits, and the challenges associated with consolidating when it’s not a community-initiated plan. Click Here to read Deets’ dissertation paper. For Leadership Matters, IASA also spoke with Deets to learn more about his findings. Below is a Q&A.

dissertation?

My professional career has been spent in St. Clair County, a county with 28 public school districts. For the majority of school districts in our county, consolidation has not only been a topic of discussion, but many districts have also taken part in several reorganization studies. Additionally, over the past decade, several Illinois legislators have continued to propose forced consolidation despite the findings from the 2012 Classrooms First Commission. I found it incredibly intriguing that so many proponents of consolidation state that it can both save districts money and improve educational outcomes. Yet, I found out relatively quickly that it was difficult to find the data or evidence to support those strong claims. Additionally, as I engaged in my literature review to narrow the focus of my study, I was unable to find any research on superintendent perceptions related to school district consolidation. Yet, I believe that superintendents are in one of the best positions to truly understand the impact consolidation can have on their schools and communities.

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LM May 2021