Proponents of large schools argue they are less expensive, offer more courses and create greater student participation. The children are just fine. At 2,154 students, it is one of the largest schools in the state. Dingle said his school is able to put on Broadway-scale productions. The school has 38 athletic teams, clubs and organizations.
Students choose from Latin, French, German and Spanish.
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.