Then there were 173 (school districts)

Another school district heads to the dust heap of consolidation following fiscal mismanagement that created irresolvable insolvency.

The Wayne County Outlook reports the Monticello Independent School District breaths its last on Jun 30, 2013.Monticello is a tiny district with only 764 students per the latest 2012-13 fall membership counts.

In 2012 Monticello’s 11th grade students posted the third worst ACT Composite Score in statewide testing.

In our Bang for the Buck 2012 report, Monticello ranked 142 out of the Kentucky 169 school districts that have high schools.

In 2012-13 EXPLORE testing, Monticello ranked 153 out of the 174 school districts in the state.

It is tough for a small district to make ends meet under Kentucky’s SEEK formula, but the Eminence Independent School District, which is one of our “Diamond in the Rough” school districts in Bang for the Buck 2012, shows it can be done – but not if school boards and educators act like spendthrifts.

Still, it’s too bad that another school choice option now is gone in Kentucky.

Furthermore, the merger may not serve the former Monticello kids that much better.

Wayne County Schools, which will absorb Monticello, only ranked 109 on EXPLORE in 2013.Wayne County’s Bang for the Buck ranked only 122, as well.

In the 2012 ACT 11th grade testing, Wayne County ranked 135. Little more than one in three Wayne County students met benchmark scores for reading and English on that test that are necessary to avoid freshman college remediation courses. Fewer than one out of four Wayne County students were likely to avoid remediation in college math.

For the unfortunate kids who go to Monticello, the change may be more like no real change at all. It's too bad Kentucky doesn't have a charter school law that permits formation of charter school districts. Monticello could be an ideal candidate.