Abstract
School district consolidation is a perennial topic in Illinois. This Comment provides an overview of the school district reform proposals that surfaced during the 97th General Assembly and discusses the merits of each. In particular, it notes that both the financial savings and academic gains touted by proponents of consolidation as potential benefits are, in fact, claims that are unsupported by evidence and which are likely to be nonexistent in practice. Instead, the Comment argues that school districts as they are currently formed continue to offer benefits to local residents that oftentimes are not given serious consideration by the state's political leaders. Additionally, it argues that if the state's leaders are serious about reducing non-instructional expenditures and improving the quality of education, they would carefully examine the bureaucratic mandates placed upon schools so that fewer non-instructional staff members are necessary and so that more time may be devoted to the improvement of actual classroom instruction.
Recommended Citation
Craig Griffin,
When Bigger is Not Always Better: Making “Cents” of Illinois School District Reform Proposals,
36
S. Ill. U. L.J.
571
(2012).
Available at:
https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/siulj/vol36/iss3/5