•  
  •  
 

Keywords

Rural, School Consolidation, Nebraska, Economics, Economic Efficiency, Rural Community Life, School Districts

Abstract

We examine the factors driving rural school consolidations, focusing our analysis on Nebraska. We consider statutory and case law, the school financing formulas that drive consolidation and the efforts by rural citizens to challenge those financing formulas in courts. We analyze how rural school consolidations have been framed in newspaper coverage, in order to see the dominant understandings of the cost-benefit tradeoffs in consolidating rural schools. Finally, we study three cases of rural Nebraska school districts for the insights these cases provide as to the challenges of sustaining rural community schools and the effects of consolidation on the students and the communities. Our conclusion is that schools play a vital role in sustaining rural community life, although the costs to the community when schools are consolidated are more difficult to quantify than the economies of scale that motivate those consolidations.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

References

1. Lawrence, B.K., Bingler, S., Diamond, B.M., Hill, B., Hoffman, J.L., Howley, C.B., Mitchell, S., Rudolph, D., & Washor, E. (2002). Dollars & sense: The cost effectiveness of small schools. Retrieved from the Rural School and Community Trust website: http://www.ruraledu.org/user_uploads/file/Dollars_and_Sense.pdf

2. Funk, P., & Bailey, J. (1999, September). Small schools, big results: Nebraska high school completion and postsecondary enrollment rates by size of school district. Nebraska Alliance for Rural Education. Retrieved from the Rural School and Community Trust website: http://www.ruraledu.org/user_uploads/file/Small_Schools_Big_Res.pdf

3. Berry, W. (1990). What are people for? San Francisco, CA: North Point Press.

4. Theobald, P. (1992). Rural philosophy for education: Wendell Berry’s tradition. ERIC: Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools. Retrieved from: http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED345930.pdf

5. Shavers, A.W. (2003). Rethinking the equity vs. adequacy debate: Implications for rural school finance reform litigation. University of Nebraska Law Review, 82, 133-189.

6. DeYoung, A.J., & Howley, C.B. (1990). The political economy of rural school consolidation. Peabody Journal of Education, 67(4), 63-89.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01619569009538701

7. DeYoung, A.J., & Howley, C.B. (1990). The political economy of rural school consolidation. Peabody Journal of Education, 67(4), 63-89.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01619569009538701

8. Harmon, H. L. & Schafft, K. (2009). Rural school leadership for collaborative community development. The Rural Educator, 30(3), 4-9.

9. Putnam, R. (2000). Bowling alone. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

10. Nitta, K., Holley, M., & Wrobel, S. (2010). A phenomenological study of rural school consolidation. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 25(2), 1-19.

11. Bastress, R.M. (2003). The impact of litigation on rural students: From free textbooks to school consolidation. University of Nebraska Law Review, 82, 9-49.

12. Bassett, D.L. (2003). Ruralism. University of Iowa Law Review, 88, 273-342.

13. Bassett, D.L. (2003). Ruralism. University of Iowa Law Review, 88, 273-342.

14. U.S. Census Bureau. (2003, September). Nebraska 2000 population and housing unit counts. Retrieved from: http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/phc-3-29.pdf

15. Andersen, M. (2010, June 10). Rural counties see loss of youths; Census estimates show sobering trend. Lincoln Journal-Star, p. B1.

16. Strange, M. (2003). Equitable and adequate funding for rural schools: Ensuring equal educational opportunity for all students. University of Nebraska Law Review, 82, 1-8.

17. Miewald, R.D., Longo, P.J., & Schutz, A.B. (2009). The Nebraska State Constitution: A reference guide, 2nd edition. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.

18. Vote on Referendum Measure 422. (2006). Official general election results. Retrieved from the Nebraska Secretary of State’s website: http://www.sos.ne.gov/elec/canvass/general2006/init.htm#Race727

19. Bastress, R.M. (2003). The impact of litigation on rural students: From free textbooks to school consolidation. University of Nebraska Law Review, 82, 9-49.

20. Bailey, J., & Preston, K. (2005). Big trouble for small schools. Center for Rural Affairs. Retrieved from the Center for Rural Affairs website: http://www.cfra.org/files/Big_Trouble_V.pdf

21. Glissman, B., & Hord, B. (2004, August 28). Rural schools file own suit on funding. Courts are asked to think again about the adequacy of state aid with an argument rejected in a similar case. Omaha World-Herald, p. 01A.

22. Glissman, B., & Hord, B. (2004, August 28). Rural schools file own suit on funding. Courts are asked to think again about the adequacy of state aid with an argument rejected in a similar case. Omaha World-Herald, p. 01A.

23. Sitorius, M.L. (2007). The political question doctrine: A thin black line between judicial deference and judicial review. University of Nebraska Law Review, 87, 793-820.

24. Shavers, A.W. (2003). Rethinking the equity vs. adequacy debate: Implications for rural school finance reform litigation. University of Nebraska Law Review, 82, 133-189.

25. Shavers, A.W. (2003). Rethinking the equity vs. adequacy debate: Implications for rural school finance reform litigation. University of Nebraska Law Review, 82, 133-189.

26. Shavers, A.W. (2003). Rethinking the equity vs. adequacy debate: Implications for rural school finance reform litigation. University of Nebraska Law Review, 82, 133-189.

27. Shavers, A.W. (2003). Rethinking the equity vs. adequacy debate: Implications for rural school finance reform litigation. University of Nebraska Law Review, 82, 133-189.

28. Shavers, A.W. (2003). Rethinking the equity vs. adequacy debate: Implications for rural school finance reform litigation. University of Nebraska Law Review, 82, 133-189.

29. Berry, W. (1990). What are people for? San Francisco, CA: North Point Press.

30. Weil, S. (1952). The need for roots (trans. Arthur Wills). New York, NY: Routledge Classics.

Download

Share

COinS