Apparently, the Mass. Department of Education and the Governor are moving to consolidate smaller school districts in the belief that smaller districts will have greater difficulty providing quality education, given their funding problems.
Consolidation has occurred here on the Vineyard with mixed results. The high school, the consolidation of which was debated for perhaps forty years, has worked out well: the education is of high quality and the costs are reasonable. The Up-Island Regional District has not worked out as well. Yes, the educational quality is high, but the costs are quite high (highest on the Island, among the ten highest in the state). The difference between the two is management. The high school was well-established before a new Superintendent of Schools took over about a dozen years ago. The Regional District was established under the control of the new Superintendent, who failed to control costs.
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