Tight budgets rekindle school consolidation debate
DIETRICH, Idaho - DIETRICH, Idaho (AP) — The state funding picture for public education in Idaho is bleak.
Public schools were spared cuts in the most recent round of holdbacks ordered by Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, but only because the governor has recommended tapping into the rainy day fund for education. Meanwhile, state revenues are down and the 2010 Legislature will be filled with decisions about where to cut — and how much.
Idaho school districts vary in size from small, rural districts contained in one building to larger districts with multiple schools.
The question of whether smaller school districts should consolidate to save money is a long-standing issue in Idaho — a matter of debate even before the economy tanked.
In February, the state's Office of Performance Evaluations released a study looking at school district consolidation. While the study itself only focused on districts consolidating services, it recommended that legislators consider a study of district administrative salaries with an eye toward greater savings. Taking a look at administration salaries could lead to further discussion about consolidating school district administration or the districts themselves, according to the study.
Still, educators have doubts about whether district consolidation would yield worthwhile savings in administrative salaries. And at the same time, lawmakers are wary about treading into the arena of forced consolidation — an unlikely move that would be seen as an affront to local control and small-town school identity in a rural state.
In a recent editorial board meeting with the Times-News, Otter said that while schools should look for efficiencies and creative ways to share resources, consolidation cannot be mandated.
"In a lot of rural Idaho that school building is the economic center, it's the social center and it's the cultural center of that little town," Otter said. "They know if that school goes away, so does their culture. There's got to be a creative way to encourage those who want to do it and to enable them."
In Dietrich School District, Neal Hollingshead is more than just the superintendent.
As part of his $76,500 a year job, he's also principal of the elementary school, transportation director, maintenance director and overseer of federal programs — duties often considered as specialized, separate jobs in larger school districts.
He also drives a bus for class field trips to help save the district money. Hollingshead doesn't see much potential for saving on administration through consolidation.
"When you get more kids you don't really save on administration," he said. "You just have more layers of administration."
With consolidation, another factor is higher transportation costs, Hollingshead said. He also points to the rural school district's ability to offer a varied curriculum through the Idaho Digital Learning Academy and dual-credit courses through the College of Southern Idaho.
And more administrators don't always mean better overall academic results. The district made adequate yearly progress through Idaho Standards Achievement Test scores earlier this year, an accomplishment that eluded larger, more highly staffed districts such as Twin Falls School District.
Barbara Thronson, superintendent of Richfield School District with a $76,800 annual salary, said she doesn't see much potential for savings of administrative salaries through consolidation.
"You end up not saving because you end up with a superintendent and one or two assistant superintendents," she said. "You still have to have your building principal."
She also points to the district's low dropout rate — none in the last four years — as a sign that small rural school districts work. The 13-mile distance between Dietrich and Richfield won't make consolidation realistic, she said.
"If a school is five miles or seven miles that could be cost-effective but not these schools that are 15 or 20 miles apart," she said.
Cassia County School District has already seen its share of consolidation. Prior to the district's reorganization in 1948, the county had 49 school districts, many of them little more than a one-room schoolhouse.
Now the district oversees a system of schools among towns like Oakley, Declo and Malta. Those communities and their schools are part of the same district, even though towns such as Malta and Oakley are about 50 miles apart.
Superintendent Gaylen Smyer said the district still looks for ways to consolidate or share services, such as teaming up with Minidoka County School District for professional development needs.
"We're always looking for ways that we can save some money," said Smyer, who is paid $96,000 annually.
In recent years, the district has taken cost-saving steps such as eliminating its assistant superintendent position and dividing those duties among the curriculum director, special education director and Smyer.
"We've adjusted and we've managed," he said. "It's not the ideal, but it is doable."
In Utah, larger school districts are more common. Utah has 42 districts spread among 29 counties, while Idaho has 115 districts in a state with 44 counties.
Many of Utah's school districts cover an entire county, often with one major high school, said Mark Peterson, spokesman for the Utah State Office of Education.
"We've only got 42 superintendents to pay and 42 business officials to pay rather than hundreds," he said.
In its early history, Idaho had more than 1,400 school districts, a number that dropped dramatically in the 1940s following a state commission that required each county to study its consolidation potential. That push spawned what has become Cassia County and Minidoka County school districts. State law allows consolidation with voter approval from all involved districts, but consolidation cannot be mandated.
Jerry Evans, state superintendent of public education from 1978 to 1994, sponsored legislation during his tenure that would have furthered consolidation. Under that proposal, small districts would have three years to consolidate on their own with neighboring districts. After three years, the State Board of Education would have the authority to consolidate the districts.
It died on the Senate floor, though.
"Generally, it's a good idea," Evans said, adding that consolidation can broaden the curriculum for students. "We speak favorably for it, but when the chips are down we vote 'no.' To some extent, that's what's going on now."
Twin Falls School District Superintendent Wiley Dobbs said that it's important to keep districts from becoming oversized. Also, smaller districts with strong academics help avoid the long-term costs that can follow those with an unfinished education, such as incarceration and reliance upon health and welfare services, he said.
"I don't know if you really want to get districts much bigger than Twin Falls," Dobbs said. "Twin Falls is a good-sized school district and I think studies have shown that the problems exist when you have these mega-school districts where kids fall between the cracks."
As for the question of administrative salaries and consolidation, Dobbs said he'd need to see more information.
"Would there be some savings there?" he asked. "Perhaps, but that school's going to be there. There's going to be a need for administrative support in that building. To be honest with you, I've never seen a study done to suggest how much money would be saved from an administrative standpoint."
Twin Falls eliminated its facilities manager position when Dale Thornsberry retired, shifting those duties to other staff. Dobbs' annual salary is $107,186.
Heather Williams, superintendent of Gooding School District, said there has been talk in the past about consolidation, but now the focus is on consolidating services. For example, Gooding School District and the Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind have an agreement to share the same librarian.
The district's alternative school, Gooding Accelerated Learning Center, has served students from Wendell, Shoshone, Hagerman and Bliss.
In Gooding, the superintendent is also the federal programs director and director of technology.
"We're all looking at ways to be more efficient and still be effective for our local patrons and families," Williams said.
Scott Rogers, superintendent of Minidoka County School District, doesn't see a consolidation in the future for his district, given its already wide reach. But the district is always looking for ways to save on administrative expenses, he said.
"It's definitely worth discussing in today's economy," he said. "How can we do business better and cheaper?"
Filer School District Superintendent John Graham said the district is looking at how to offer consolidated services, such as teaming up with other districts to hire the same specialist that would work with special needs students.
Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, co-chairman of the state's Joint Finance-Appropriation Committee, said he doesn't think consolidation will be an issue in the upcoming session. But that doesn't mean it will fade away, he said.
"My opinion is as revenue is tight and tough decisions have to be made, I think the local citizenry have to decide whether they're willing to curtail a service or program, or whether they would have their district combine with a neighboring district," he said.
Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, co-chairwoman of JFAC, said she doesn't see any big policy changes or expect the Legislature to look at forcing consolidation.
"I truly believe that this will be simply a session of survival," Bell said. " ... I just don't see that there will be a lot of big policy changes because of the seriousness of the economy."
Rep. Stephen Hartgen, R-Twin Falls, said that consolidation, as a political issue, is "dead on arrival."
"Because schools are so local, legislators don't want to force school consolidation," he said.
Rep. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, said consolidation would not be a quick budget fix.
"When you look at school consolidation, it's not a silver bullet," she said. "In this year and next year it would be a transition if anybody was to do that. I think it would be a long-term savings. It wouldn't be an immediate savings."
And even among arguments balancing the need for adequate administration with dwindling funding, the issue of a school's place in a small town remains.
"It would be a lot easier to consolidate a highway district because they don't have a football team," she said.
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