Exploring Alternatives to Consolidation. School reorganization has been used extensively as a strategy to deal with the problems of small and rural schools. Consequently, attention should be given to alternative strategies for school reorganization which could bring quality education to students living in sparsely populated areas.
Schools are basic elements in rural and small communities.
They are not only places where children receive education and interact with youngsters from different religious and socioeconomic backgrounds, but they also serve as community centers. In many cases, because of a large payroll, schools often provide an important economic base for the community. Even though disagreement exists over the social and economic effects that a school closure may cause, it is commonly acknowledged that, after consolidation, regret and a feeling of frustration among members of the community will persist. There are several alternatives to full consolidation which can help to ameliorate this situation. Partial school reorganization is one alternative to complete reorganization.