Source: The 74
A report released by EdBuild on school district consolidations highlights the roadblocks financially fraught districts across the country face when school leaders try to merge with more stable neighboring districts. Lawmakers in nine states have granted a state-level entity authority to mandate school district consolidations under dire circumstances, while mergers remain voluntary in most parts of the country. In states where consolidation is voluntary, however, community members and school leaders in wealthier school systems have few incentives to help out their struggling neighbors. EdBuild puts the blame on the system employed in most U.S. states, which ties school funding revenue to local property taxes.