A Question of Equity - Should Vermont School Districts Close Their Smaller Rural Schools?

A wealth of research supports the effectiveness of small schools, including the December 2019 Vermont Pupil Weighting Factors Report commissioned by the Vermont Legislature:

“The negative relationship between the share of students who are economically disadvantaged in a school and average levels of student achievement is weaker in smaller schools than it is in larger schools.” (p.5)

See also: The Hobbit Effect: Why Small Works in Public Schools

If we are genuinely serious about school effectiveness - about reducing student achievement gaps based on family income - we should be supporting, (not closing or "repurposing"), our small rural schools, in every possible way.