Bob Olson, principal of the new West Ashley High School in Charleston, which will house 2,500 students, agreed bigger is better. But scholars such as Bickel argue large schools are actually more expensive if one considers dropouts. The relationship between school size and a richer curriculum also is tenuous, research indicates. Small increases in student participation require huge increases in school size, and only a small number of students avail themselves of the increased opportunities. A survey of 1,350 educators recently conducted by Heery International, a leading school construction management company, found that 80 percent of educators would trade broader curriculum for smaller size.
Small schools face tough choices.
At Sizer's school in Massachusetts, for example, there are no team sports and Spanish is the only foreign language available. We need kids to be in classes where they can have thoughtful conversations. Billions more are promised. Still, middle and high school average class size remains between 25 and 40 students. Many South Carolina districts can't reduce class size because they have no space for more classrooms, Coleman said.