LARGER SCHOOLS, CAREFULLY

Merging schools would save both state government and municipalities millions of dollars a year, according to a recent study certain to be welcomed by lawmakers as a way to cut education costs. But the study comes with many warnings and exceptions, and legislators would do well to use the study as its author intended – carefully.

Philip Trostel, a University of Maine associate professor of economics, examined education costs at 14 districts in the Penobscot Valley region, including Bangor, as part of larger report on regional planning. Schools are naturally of interest because they require a large amount of money and Maine schools are considerably smaller than the national average, suggesting a chance for greater efficiency through economies of scale found in consolidation.

Generally, that is what the Professor Trostel found – lower costs per student (roughly on average $207 per student) without a sacrifice in the quality of student performance. In some cases, student performance could be improved because large districts tend to have more course offerings, facilities and more faculty with advanced degrees. The potential for savings is what will catch the attention of legislators, however. For instance, had Brewer, Dedham, Orrington and SAD 63 (Clifton, Eddington, Holden) merged as once was proposed, the savings for the 3,347-student district would have been $647 per student per year, or nearly $2.2 million.

But the savings, it is important to note, would come long term, and costs of consolidating might even increase costs temporarily in the short term. Some of the savings would be felt at the state level, some would likely be put into improving school quality and some savings would be felt at the municipal level, with some of that being passed to property taxpayers. The real savings are cumulative, over the years and over many districts.

Professor Trostel also points out benefits of smaller schools; most importantly, the feeling of connection that students have in these schools and the beneficial results of, for instance, lower drop-out rates as a result. Other concerns address the limits of consolidation – geography and transportation restrict the benefits of merging schools, and the author observes that competition between local schools can act as incentive for improving quality at both. And a caveat: A larger school is not the same as larger class size.

The study, available through the Margaret Chase Smith Center for Public Policy, where Professor Trostel is a researcher, repeatedly stresses that its results are merely a rough guide to what is possible, not a final answer. It points to areas of possible savings that deserve more attention.

The next steps would include identifying and informing specific school districts that could save money and provide better facilities for students without sacrificing the many other factors that go into a high-quality education. This will require further research, especially if it is to be applied statewide, but the UMaine study is important because it raises the level of the discussions about consolidation, giving schools in this area a first look at the possibilities for greater efficiency.