Grand Jury suggests consolidating 20 school districts into 6 to save money

By Cheri Carlson (Contact)
Tuesday, May 19, 2009


Eye on Education

Grand Jury members’ recommendations:

- A Fillmore and Santa Paula district of Briggs, Mupu, Santa Clara, Santa Paula elementary and high school districts, and Fillmore Unified.

- A Port Hueneme, Oxnard, El Rio and Ocean View district of Hueneme, Rio, Ocean View, Oxnard elementary and the Oxnard Union High School District.

- A district of Pleasant Valley, Somis, Mesa Union and high school students living in those areas.

- A district of Ojai Unified and Ventura Unified.

- A district of Conejo Valley Unified and Oak Park Unified.

- A district of Moorpark Unified and Simi Valley Unified.
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An investigation into school district administrative costs by the Ventura County Grand Jury found the county needs to consolidate its 20 districts into six to save money for teaching positions and educational programs.

Local district officials, however, questioned those recommendations Monday, saying bigger doesn’t always mean better.

Larger districts likely would save cash, said county Superintendent Stan Mantooth, but are not necessarily best for children.

“It doesn’t guarantee an effective education,” he said. “And in a democratic society, those decisions should be left up to local communities.”

The Grand Jury looked into district costs after reading news reports of teacher layoffs and ballooning class sizes, said jury Foreman Ronald Zenone. It found that administering the county’s 20 districts costs about $128 million annually, based on surveys sent to local districts. Only district-level administrative costs were considered, not administration at schools.

On average, those costs total $933 per student each year, the report states.

“It’s hard to say if the costs are exorbitant or not,” Zenone said, but in several cases, combining districts would reduce the number of administrative positions and costs.

The report — “School District Administration: Is the Cost Too High?” — was released Monday and requires responses from the county’s school districts, the Ventura County Office of Education and the county Board of Education. Elected officials have 60 days to respond and appointed employees have 90 days.

School district officials said Monday that they were reviewing the report, including the jury’s calculations.

There may be an economy of scale with larger districts, said Karen Schilbrack, board president of Briggs School District in the Santa Paula area. But there are negatives with a forced consolidation, too, including that parents may opt out and start charter schools instead.

Plus, there would be challenges with setting up an effective board that governed all the former districts fairly, she said.

Oak Park Superintendent Tony Knight questioned how much money would really be saved and what could be lost, including how a larger district would affect student academic achievement.

Oak Park, a district of about 3,600 students, was formed in 1978 because the community wanted its own district, and the community has continued to support the district through approving parcel taxes to pay for programs, he said. It has high achievement and, according to the report, has below-average administrative costs per student.

Through consolidation, however, Knight said the district could lose its small schools, local control and access.

“Big is not better when it comes to schooling,” he said. “I think if you ask any parent, they will tell you that.”

Zenone said he expects some resistance to the idea. Unifying or consolidating likely would mean people would lose jobs, he said, and no one wants to become another Los Angeles Unified School District.

Still, the report says, consolidating into larger districts would save “significant” money at a time when funding is scarce, and he doesn’t think people realize how much money goes toward district administration.

Superintendent Jeanine Gore from Mupu, a district of 127 students in the Santa Paula area, questioned the efficiency that would be lost in a larger district. At Mupu, she said, decisions can be turned around quickly and overhead is small.

Gore, who also serves as a principal and works with students who need extra help, said people have to consider whether their bottom line is saving dollars or something else. “Our bottom line is what’s best for kids,” she said.

To see the report, go to http://grandjury.countyofventura.org/.

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/may/19/grand-jury-recommends-county-school-district/