Legislator to Propose Consolidating Spartanburg School Districts

     The idea of consolidating school districts in South Carolina is not new, but it's once again front and center in Spartanburg and not sitting well with several superintendents.  Representative Ralph Davenport of Boiling Springs says he is drafting legislation which would merge Districts 1 and 2, 3 and 7, and 4 and 5.  District six would stand on its own. 
     Rep. Davenport says the idea is to run four merged districts like a business with a chief administrator.  Each of the seven districts would be divided into attendance zones with their own elected boards.  Each board would then select two members to serve on a county-wide board which would report to the chairman.  Davenport says eliminating district personnel and consolidating purchasing could save $23 million. 
     Dr. Jimmy Littlefield, Superintendent of Spartanburg District 1, is one of at least three superintendents who says bigger doesn't always mean better, or more efficient. “The first line of contact for people would be their teacher, and then their principle and that's good; but in a consolidated school district, in my opinion, you would have to consolidate the schools.  You would not be able to keep schools as small as we have them out here; so that would impact parents tremendously.  It would impact our kids,“ says Littlefield.  Davenport says, “What we are going to do is strengthen the local effort, as far as input from parents.  I'm sure they'll get a better ear than they've been getting."
     News Channel 7 asked Rep. Davenport if voters would be allowed to vote on the issue.  He said, “You know, it would not be a problem with me to do that.  Once we bring it to the full delegation and if they decide they want to do that, that's fine with me."
     Meanwhile, Dr. Littlefield and Dr. Scott Turner of Spartanburg District 5 both want to know how Davenport came up with his numbers.  Davenport says, “Well we are talking about administration and support staff.  A lot of those folks won't be needed.”  When I asked if that research was available, he said it is and that it would be available in one week.
     Dr. Jim Ray, Superintendent of Spartanburg District 3 says he opposes any consolidation that does not improve the welfare of students, and Dr. Darryl Owning, Superintendent of Spartanburg District 6, issued this statement late Thursday:  “The statement that there is room for a large cost saving just through consolidation is short sighted.  Our school board values putting resources as close to the students and the classroom as possible.  This emphasis is evidenced by the fact that nearly 70 other school districts spend more money per pupil than we do, and we spend less money on district leadership than nearly all school districts in South Carolina.”
 
     Representative Davenport says he intends to introduce a completed version of the bill mid-February, and he says the calls and e-mails he received today on the topic were ten-to-one in favor of consolidating the districts.
 
To contact Representative Ralph Davenport go to:  http://www.scstatehouse.net/members/bios/0454545400.html