Editorial Cites Center on School Consolidation

A recent editorial in the Detroit Free Press on Gov. Rick Snyder’s executive budget cites a 2007 study by Andrew Coulson, an adjunct fellow with the Mackinac Center, titled “School District Consolidation, Size and Spending: An Evaluation.”

“There are more potential savings by breaking up large districts than by consolidating smaller ones,” Michael Van Beek, director of education policy for the Center, told the Free Press. Coulson’s study found that the optimal size for a school district is 2,900 students. Gov. Snyder has said school districts can make up the cuts in per-pupil funding by looking at economies of scale. Center analysts have also found that school can save millions of dollars by privatizing noninstructional services.

Permission to reprint this blog post in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided that the author (or authors) and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy are properly cited.