Newspaper: Many watching PA school consolidation

One of the reasons Pennsylvania residents pay high property taxes is because the state has 501 school districts, each with high-paid administrators.

Some of the districts are too small to sustain themselves, but special interests (whether it be the high-paid administrators, the school board members themselves, the teachers or even parents) have blocked efforts to consolidate.

Two western Pennsylvania districts are attempting to merge, something that hasn't happened in Pennsylvania in 20 years.

All eyes are on the planned merger. If successful, it could open the floodgate to more consolidations.

From an editorial in today's edition of The Mercury:

If managed properly, mergers have strong positive possibilities for Pennsylvania schools. The goal is not to place more children together in a classroom, but rather to avoid the duplication of administration, building construction and support services.

Mergers also allow the possibility of more course offerings for students and the purchase and maintenance of more sophisticated technology and facilities than could be done in a smaller setting.

Sharing of resources, be it high-salaried personnel or high-priced equipment, can be cost-effective.

But, mergers of any entities are emotional and difficult to achieve. Knowing that, it is commendable that two rural districts are embarking on the experiment voluntarily.

Many in Pennsylvania will be watching their efforts.

Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.