© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

School Regionalization Results Mixed, Study Review Says

ccarlstead
/
Creative Commons

As Connecticut schools deal with shrinking enrollment in most towns and rising enrollment in some cities, the question being asked is this -- should schools be consolidated? 

"Whenever you say [regionalization], people think, 'Oh, we're gonna be forced to work together in ways that we're not accustomed to,” said Steven Fernandez, executive director of the Connecticut Commission on Women, Children and Seniors, speaking at an event at UConn Law School in April.

He said the only way to achieve equity for all students is for school districts to start working together. But making that happen is another story. The Land of Steady Habits has a way of making change, well, difficult.

Even if towns decided to start working together, how would that work? That’s a question the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving wanted to know, and recently reviewed a variety of regionalization studies. What did they find?

"It's a complex issue, there's not a one-size-fits-all answer. There's no sort of silver bullet for it,” said Scott Gaul, director of research and evaluation at the Hartford Foundation.

"There's pretty solid evidence that the highest cost districts tend to be either very small or very large," Gaul said. "There is something that's suggestive that those districts that are medium sized do some things better than either a large bureaucracy or a very small district that has high fixed costs."

The foundation reviewed regionalization programs in Vermont, Maine, and New York.

"It's really a mixed track record there,” Gaul said. “There's some cases where they've achieved some cost savings, but really those states have gone into it with the mind that it would achieve sort of high levels of consolidations and substantial cost savings. And it doesn't appear that that's materialized."

Gaul said it's important to not just think about saving money, but also, about how it impacts students. Opportunities for learning vary significantly among districts, and merging schools has been seen as one way to level the playing field.

David finds and tells stories about education and learning for WNPR radio and its website. He also teaches journalism and media literacy to high school students, and he starts the year with the lesson: “Conflicts of interest: Real or perceived? Both matter.” He thinks he has a sense of humor, and he also finds writing in the third person awkward, but he does it anyway.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content