Consolidation of School Districts

 In 1940, the United States had over 117,000 school districts with an average of 217 students per district.  By 1997, the government school system had consolidated schools into fewer than 15,000 regular school districts with an average of more than 3,000 students enrolled in each district.[39]

The dramatic reduction of school districts and the increase in student population dilutes the parental influence on their children's education.  Whereas smaller districts allowed for greater parental involvement because school board members and school officials were more accessible and had fewer constituents, larger districts have diminished the role of parents and increased the influence of special interest groups.  This effect is unavoidable when districts consolidate and become more bureaucratic.