but only to a degree. Monroe would increase its costs per pupil two and 

 one-half times present costs (Table 13B ) . The inequalities still exist. 

 Both Haverhill and Orford would reduce costs per pupil while Benton, 

 Piermont and Warren wovild increase costs, but to a much lesser degree 

 than Monroe. 



The A.R.E.A. school, as proposed I)y the interim commission, ap- 

 pears to offer advantage over the "cooperative district," unless an ac- 

 ceptable formula (permitted by formula 3) could be devised to fit the 

 situation. In the A.R.E.A. organization each district would send its pupils 

 to the district maintaining the high school paying tuition at the average 

 state rate or on a contract basis. In the event that the per pupil costs 

 were greater than the standard tuition rate, then here is an opportunity 

 for state aid to make up the difference. Under the A.R.E.A. plan of or- 

 ganization each district would maintain its own school board and would 

 not be represented on the board of the district maintaining the facilities. 

 This may or may not be an advantage. Surely, as far as quality of edu- 

 cation is concerned, one high school with an enrollment of some 360 

 pupils could offer a better program of academic and vocational subjects 

 than could possibly be offered by the three present high schools. 



Apparently it is not enough to conclude that costs per pupil decline 

 with larger enrollments. For some communities, now members of a co- 

 operative, the per pupil costs could be affected adversely, depending on 

 how costs are apportioned. A study of cooperative districts a few years 

 hence should reveal interesting information. 



SUMMARY 



nnilE current interest in puljlic education in New Hampshire centers 

 around an effort toward equal educational opportunity for all youth. 

 In view of the large number of secondary and elementary schools, many 

 of which are too small to provide an adequate staff for effective and effi- 

 cient education, some reorganization of school districts is mandatory. 

 Many rural districts do not have an enrollment of elementary pupils 

 large enough to employ one teacher per grade. Of the 86 high schools 

 only 31 have more than 300 pupils, a minimum for offering a compre- 

 hensive program of academic and vocational subjects to prepare pupils 

 for furthering their education or for skilled employment. 



In the interest of encouraging the organization of larger schools 

 the 1947 legislature passed a cooperative school district statute making 

 it possible for school districts to combine voluntarily into larger units. 

 Acceptance of this plan has been disappointing — only six cooperative 

 districts were organized prior to 1961, and some of these are not of great 

 significance. 



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