Jacques, CharlesBrorsen, B. WadeRichter, Francisca G. C.2015-10-162015-10-162000-12Jacques, C., Brorsen, B. W., & Richter, F. G. C. (2000). Consolidating rural school districts: Potential savings and effects on student achievement. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 32(3), 573-583. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1074070800020666http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14446/19782One frequently proposed policy is to consolidate rural school districts in order to save money by obtaining economies of size. The effects of school district size on both expenditures and standardized test scores are estimated for Oklahoma. Results indicate that economies of scale with respect to expenditures per student exist up to an average daily membership (ADM) of 965 students, but that as school districts become larger, tests scores decline. Even if savings in school district administration from consolidation are spent on instruction, state average test scores would decrease slightly. Thus, school district consolidation can reduce costs, but it will also reduce student learning.application/pdfThis material has been previously published. In the Oklahoma State University Library's institutional repository this version is made available through the open access principles and the terms of agreement/consent between the author(s) and the publisher. The permission policy on the use, reproduction or distribution of the material falls under fair use for educational, scholarship, and research purposes. Contact Digital Resources and Discovery Services at lib-dls@okstate.edu or 405-744-9161 for further information.10.1017/S1074070800020666Articleeconomics of sizeeducationplateau functionschool disctrict consolidation