Published: October 26, 2009 06:55 am      

State may consolidate school districts

LANSING -- School district consolidation might be required if legislators follow a commission's recommendations.

A state Legislative Commission on Government Efficiency is expected to be released before the year's end, and proposes the state superintendent of education be authorized to mandate school district consolidation to save money.

Consolidations would be a last resort, said Martin Ackley, spokesman for state Superintendent Mike Flannigan. He said Flannigan intends to focus on saving through consolidating services among districts.

State education officials hope to lessen the impact on school aid cuts by giving more flexibility to districts that consolidate services, Ackley said.

Consolidation is among ideas in the report intended to save the state money. Titled "Charting a Way Forward," the report seeks to promote stability through streamlining state institutions.

Mitch Bean, director of the House Fiscal Agency and a commission member, said the goal is to give responsibility for district consolidation to someone with expertise. The state superintendent was deemed to be the best choice.

Consolidation likely wouldn't happen voluntarily because too many local interests don't want their local schools to disappear, he said.

Don Wotruba said districts currently merge only if enough residents agree. Wotruba, deputy director of the Michigan Association of School Boards, said many residents believe schools give a community identity.

The association doesn't necessarily oppose consolidation, Wotruba said, but added "if a consolidation was mandated, we probably would have an issue with that."

The state superintendent would need to work with the affected districts in a way that would keep education and efficiency in mind, he said.

Manistee Area Public Schools Superintendent Robert Olson said he isn't fully aware of the commission's proposal, but is concerned about financial differences among districts.

Mismatches among state aid, taxes and district debt might make consolidation impractical, he said.

His district mulled a merger with Onekama Consolidated Schools, but the state stopped the move over aid concerns, he said.

"We're always open to new ideas," he said. "We just need some answers to do it."

The draft report also proposes consolidation among intermediate school districts. Services such as transportation and accounting would be shared in an effort to cut spending.

Lawrence Lloyd, the superintendent of Mason, Lake and Oceana county intermediate school districts, said. "I think it'd be wonderful."

"Collaboration does cost money," he said. "It does cost money to get these things moving."

Jordan Travis writes for Michigan State University's Capital News Service.