Blog note: this editorial references a grand jury report.
Does Sonoma County have too many school districts?
Our snap reaction is yes.
Sonoma County has 40 school districts, as many as Napa, Marin and Mendocino counties combined. In fact, as The Press Democrat reported, only four of California’s 58 counties have more school districts than Sonoma County. One of those is Los Angeles County — population 9.8 million, including about 1.4 million K-12 students.
Each school district has administrative responsibilities — budgeting, payroll, record-keeping, curriculum development, etc. — on top of its primary obligation — educating children.
Reducing overhead would free dollars for classroom needs. Look at the Sonoma County fire districts now merging so more resources can be dedicated to emergency services.
But finances are just one potential advantage of consolidating some of Sonoma County’s school districts. Students also would gain an easier path to graduation.
Consider a process educators call “articulation,” the transition from primary to secondary schools. In the Santa Rosa high school district, seventh-graders arrive from eight independent elementary districts, each with its own program. (The Santa Rosa elementary district shares an administration and a school board with the high school district.)
Only six Sonoma County school systems are “unified” districts offering K-12 classes. Sixteen districts have just one school, and 28 have fewer than five schools.
This isn’t a new issue, and these aren’t new arguments.
We’ve been writing about consolidation for more than 25 years as declining enrollment, dwindling resources and increased competition from charter schools have translated into school closures and less money for libraries, textbooks and enrichment programs such as art and music for local students. Sonoma County’s civil grand jury recommended consolidation eight years ago, with support from some school officials.
There is currently some interest among local school officials, including Santa Rosa school board members. Omar Medina, the newest member of the Santa Rosa school board, has requested a consolidation study. West County high school district officials also have discussed possible combinations with feeder elementary school districts.
One big obstacle is tradition. People cherish their neighborhood schools and fear that they might close if school districts combine.
Maybe some schools, like some school districts, should be consolidated. Attendance continues to fall throughout the county, and state aid is based on enrollment. It might make financial sense to combine some schools — if not now, soon.
What the county could use is an independent study that factors in such variables as labor contracts, bond obligations and parcel taxes that could complicate any mergers. There may be short-term expenses; the questions that needs to be answered are whether they would be offset by long-term savings and how much students would benefit.
Steven D. Herrington, the county school superintendent, seems well placed to supervise such a study, and he has expressed a willingness to do so in the past.
However, state law prohibits county superintendents from initiating consolidation studies. They can be ordered by city councils or boards of supervisors. But cities and counties don’t have responsibility for schools, and it seems unlikely that supervisors or council members would risk the wrath of parents or school board members opposed to consolidation.
So it falls to the school districts to get this started. If they don’t, we encourage Sonoma County’s state legislators to pursue a change in state law to facilitate a consolidation study.
August 20, 2019
The Press Democrat
By the Editorial Board
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