Is smaller better for districts?

A smaller school district doesn't necessarily bring a more effective and responsive local school board or higher student achievement, but schools certainly could be governed differently than they are now.

That's the gist of a University of Utah governance study commissioned by Salt Lake County (on behalf of Millcreek Township),

Holladay and South Salt Lake, which are looking to break away from the state's second-largest school district. The "Local District Responsiveness: Who Governs, Who Participates, and Who Gets Represented?" policy report was obtained by the Deseret Morning News Thursday.

"I think the available evidence would suggest that effective governance can be achieved regardless of the size of the district," said Andrea K. Rorrer, director of the Utah Education Policy Center and one of the study's authors. And there are many ways to go about it.

But, the study also states: "At this point, while dividing a large district, such as Granite School District, may suffice short-term wants and certain constituent calls for responsiveness, it is unclear whether the division will address or sacrifice the underlying need for increased responsiveness of the district to all student and each community."

The study has not yet been discussed by a steering committee of the three governments that commissioned it. But Holladay City Councilman Lynn Pace says the governance study is separate from questions as to whether to split the district. He said he has not seen the latest report draft. Neither has County Council Chairman Mark Crockett.

Crockett said the group only wanted information on school governance, not if size matters.

"We didn't ask for recommendations on a governance model," Crockett said. "If they concluded in addition that small districts themselves don't necessarily make a more effective district, I wouldn't find that surprising in the least because I don't know why dividing a district necessarily changes anything. What it gives is parents an opportunity to rethink education."

Authors Rorrer, Cori Growth and Brenda Valles of the Utah Education Policy Center surveyed how school districts are governed across the country.

The resulting report is 160 pages long and includes statistics about Granite District, from test scores to teacher pay and experience to class size; an examination of research on district size (results on what's optimal are mixed); a lengthy and detailed roundup of district governance models nationwide, and some of their pros and cons; district organization research (including site-based management, which is used to a degree in Salt Lake City School District); and some conclusions and considerations.

The latter, Rorrer confirms, are somewhat cautionary.