I have not read all the information in regards to the costs of maintaining three neighborhood small schools versus the cost of one very large K-3 school, as proposed in Scarborough. I have, however, reviewed research that has found that students in small schools have better outcomes on most measures and equal to large schools on the rest.
The Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory’s digest of 103 studies on the relationship of school size to various aspects of schooling included issues of achievement, attitudes toward school or school subjects; social behavior problems; belongingness; interpersonal relations; attendance; academic and general self-concept; teacher attitudes and collaboration; quality of the curriculum, and costs.
It found the following advantages of small schools: achievement in small schools is at least equal – and often superior – to that of large schools. Student academic and general self-regard are higher. Interpersonal relations between and among students, teachers and administrators are more positive. Teacher attitudes toward their work and administrators are more positive. No reliable relationship exists between school size and curriculum quality.
Larger schools are not necessarily less expensive to operate. If we are going to spend $160 million on a school in Scarborough, I would hope that it would be the best outcome for children that is evidence based, not anecdotal.
Loren Johnston
Scarborough
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