General Articles <> Research Studies <> School District Data

Linked here are articles, studies and raw data that present a different perspective on School District mergers. This data shows that mergers often do not lead to lower taxes or increased student opportunities or achievements. In addition, this data is overwhelming in showing that school mergers damage communities.

General Articles

Articles, websites, and books in the popular press that address the pros and cons of school mergers. These sources present a perspective missing from the two school districts’ information on the proposed merger.

• Tieken, Mara Casey. “Close A Rural School, Hurt A Rural Community, The Daily Yonder, 8/14/2017.  https://dailyyonder.com/close-rural-school-hurt-rural-community/2017/08/14
• Wenders, John T., “Consolidation is a Bad Idea”, Fordham Institute 4/9/2003.
  https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/consolidation-bad-idea

Research Studies

Educational research published in professional education journals or in book form. These studies all present results that question the wisdom of merging or consolidating schools.

• Antoniou, Faye, Alghamdi, Mohammed H., and Kawai, Kosuke. “The effect of school size and class size on school preparedness”.  Frontiers in Psychology, (7), 2/25/2024. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1354072/full
• Bloom, Howard s., and Unterman, Rebecca. “Can Small High Schools of Choice Improve Educational Prospects for Disadvantaged Students?”. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management Vol. 33, No. 2 (SPRING 2014), pp. 290-319.  https://www.jstor.org/stable/24033333
• Connecticut School Finance Project, A Review of the Research on District and School Consolidation, February, 2019. https://files.schoolstatefinance.org/hubfs/Reports/Review%20of%20Research%20on%20District%20and%20School%20Consolidation.pdf
• DeYoung, Alan J., “The Status of American Rural Education Research: An Integrated Review and Commentary”, Review of Educational Research, 57(2), Spring 1987. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/00346543057002123
• Thomson, Diane. and Hertz, Steven G., “Exploring the Link Between Rural Schools, Community Vitality, and Wellbeing”, Journal of Contemporary Issues in Education, 2018, 13(1), pp. 37-57, ISSN 1718-4770. https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/jcie/index.php/jcie!

School District Data

Actual data from school districts that have merged, demonstrating that school mergers generally do not lower school taxes or improve student outcomes; or data relevant to the information presented by the school districts.

• Canajoharie & Fort Plain School Districts, Merger Information Sheet, February, 2026. https://cfpmergertruth.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/canajoharie-fort-plain-merger-onesheet__q_a.pdf
• Girardin, Ken, Missing Kids: NY Public School Enrollment Falls Again, The Empire Center for Public Policy, February, 2025. https://www.empirecenter.org/publications/missing-kids-ny-public-school-enrollment-falls-again/
• Leadership Solutions Providers, LLC., Canajoharie CSD & Fort Plain CSD: Feasibility Study for the Purpose of Centralization, Final Report – January 2025, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TVf_7JNWuuqAAa5cfTrYSE1HPalXG1Gg/view
• New York State Public High School Athletic Association, Public School Enrollment 2023-2024 All Students, 2024. https://cfpmergertruth.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2025_2026_school_enrollment_number_final.pdf