Pennsylvania Districts Consolidate; Move to be Closely Watched
Two tiny Western Pennsylvania school districts, faced with rapidly
declining enrollment, have agreed to merge in a consolidation effort
that will be closely watched and evaluated.
The Center Area and the Monaca School Districts, located northwest
of Pittsburgh, agreed to dissolve boundary lines in the state’s first
consolidation in more than 20 years. The move, which comes as a number
of states look at mergers, is part of a growing trend toward fewer
school districts in the U.S.
What makes the Pennsylvania consolidation noteworthy is that it is
voluntary. Both districts, which have fewer than 1,000 students each,
agreed to the consolidation without state intervention. Most
consolidation efforts are pushed by state legislatures eager to save
money on school spending.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the
number of school districts nationwide declined by 10 percent over a
20-year period that ended in 2005-06. NCES now says there are 14,166
school districts in the U.S.