Not every school district needs its own superintendent

Two more western Kansas school districts are merging — Hanston and Pawnee Heights. More districts need to do the same. But there is only so much merging that is realistic, geographically or politically. The more viable reform — and the one that could save the state the most money — is to consolidate district administrations. More school districts, large and small, need to share superintendents, clerks and bookkeeping systems.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee

5 Comments

  1. Hammertime
    Posted October 9, 2005 at 10:19 am | Permalink

    Just one problem… when it comes to school districts, it’s all about money and how to get more of it. Sorry, this recommendation doesn’t fit the plan.

  2. Joe Williams
    Posted October 9, 2005 at 11:12 am | Permalink

    Many want to keep their sports teams. They give more emphasis on sports than they do education in these small towns.

  3. JWink
    Posted October 9, 2005 at 6:09 pm | Permalink

    Mr. Brownlee’s consolidation might actually cost more because of distances involved between many western Kansas communities.

    But lots of tax dollars could be saved in Kansas by consolidating the currently elected State Treasurer, State Insurance Commissioner, Secretary of State and State Printer into sub-offices of the State’s Finance Department. The Attorney General, KBI and Highway Patrol could also be folded into one department.

    All these elected officials are unneeded prima donna’s and control overgrown bureaucracies in Kansas.

    Is anyone listening?

  4. Joe Williams
    Posted October 10, 2005 at 5:53 am | Permalink

    Jwink. They bus kids from the rural areas all the time, so I seriously doubt that it will cost more to bus kids further away.

    Many of these towns are 6 to 10 miles apart. That is nothing, yet they are two seperate school districts, one will have a school K-12 will less than 200 students, yet they will have two principals and a superatendent.

    The issue of consolidation has everything to do with sports. Nothing else is involved.

  5. TRACY
    Posted October 10, 2005 at 3:44 pm | Permalink

    Phillip, perhaps you’re commenting on the situation in S.E.K.Two school systems merge into one, creating many personal vendettas.Then the new “unified” school district begins to come apart at the seams, especially when the new district attempts to merge with another that isn’t even geographically connected to it.This stuff should have been filmed from the beginning, as it would make a great reality soap opera.Families and neighbors pitted against each other in a true to life drama!This whole thing puts the ASS in fiasco.