The idea that all small schools are similar is misplaced. Varied school cultures exist where the entire district, pre-k through high school, totals less than 200 or even 100 students. No two are the same, and they struggle mightily to make ends meet in service to student, family and community. People. A 2014 study published by The Texas Education Agency looked at the consequences of school district consolidation in major metropolitan areas. This investigation showed that as districts grew so would bureaucratic processes. As bureaucracies increase in size, effectiveness eventually evaporates as costs escalate. Focus in large organizations becomes directed more toward process rather than people. Presumed efficiencies of operation rule rather than the love required to nurture young people in learning one-at-a-time. It is clear that the consolidations of nearly a century ago near Patton Springs led to a small but seemingly well-functioning, if imperfect, rural school. These consolidations were driven by local forces of economy and a critical mass that resulted in “right-sized” schools that serve people in communities like those in Guthrie, Paducah, Motley County, Meadow or another purposeful consolidation, Wellman-Union. The can’t-hide-in-the-shadows, face-to-face contact demanded in smaller schools, driven by local forces and real people, may be the most important factor in determining educational quality. Many smaller schools appear to be “loose” on the process side of the equation. However, individual attention of teachers and school leaders may enable an orderly and disciplined environment based on relationships rather than rules. It is clear that the consolidations of nearly a century ago near Patton Springs led to a small but seemingly well-functioning, if imperfect, rural school. These consolidations were driven by local forces of economy and a critical mass that resulted in “right-sized” schools that serve people in communities like those in Guthrie, Paducah, Motley County, Meadow or another purposeful consolidation, Wellman-Union. The can’t-hide-in-the-shadows, face-to-face contact demanded in smaller schools, driven by local forces and real people, may be the most important factor in determining educational quality. When considering college, try to find one that pays more attention to people than procedures or policies. If you sense that politics of people rule rather than politics of process, that’s a college that deserves a careful look.
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