Arkansas Study Finds School District Mergers Fail to Deliver Promised Cost Savings

By Jill Barshay · Hechinger Report · 2026-10-05

Hechinger Report highlights new research from the University of Arkansas revealing that two decades of forced district consolidations did not actually reduce taxpayer spending. While administrative overhead dropped, these gains were immediately neutralized by sharp increases in t

Hechinger Report highlights new research from the University of Arkansas revealing that two decades of forced district consolidations did not actually reduce taxpayer spending. While administrative overhead dropped, these gains were immediately neutralized by sharp increases in t