Pennsylvania’s public education system is bloated, inefficient, and deeply inequitable. With nearly 500 school districts, we are saddled with a fragmented administrative structure that no longer serves students, taxpayers, or communities. It’s time to bring coherence to this chaos by consolidating the state’s districts into 67 county-wide school systems.
This editorial was inspired by a May 27th memo circulated to state legislators by State Representative Greg Scott (D, 54th District). In it, Rep. Scott urges Pennsylvania to revisit a 2009 proposal by then-Governor Ed Rendell to reduce the number of school districts to 100. Scott’s plan calls for a study by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to explore how that could be accomplished.
It’s the right conversation at the right time. But if we are going to streamline our education system, we should go all the way: create one district per county.
End the Waste: Streamline Administration
Hundreds of redundant school administrations—each with its own superintendent, HR department, business office, and IT staff—means hundreds of millions of dollars lost to inefficiency. Those dollars should be going into classrooms, not bureaucracies.
By unifying operations within each county, Pennsylvania can realize massive administrative cost savings. Centralized procurement, shared services, and bulk contracts would reduce overhead and redirect funds where they’re needed most—toward improving student outcomes and easing the pressure on property taxpayers.
Build Equity Into the System
Our current patchwork of school districts reinforces economic and racial inequality. Wealthy districts can offer advanced coursework, top-tier facilities, and specialized services. Just a few miles away, underfunded districts struggle to meet basic needs.
Consolidating districts at the county level offers a powerful tool to level the playing field. Larger districts mean more equitable distribution of resources, uniform academic standards, and a chance to eliminate the disparities baked into our current system. Education should not be dictated by zip code.
Plan Smarter, Govern Better
Fewer districts mean clearer accountability and stronger oversight. County-wide governance enables data-driven planning, improved staffing pipelines, and a coordinated approach to curriculum, professional development, and student services.
With just 67 districts, the Pennsylvania Department of Education would find it far easier to monitor compliance, intervene when necessary, and support systemic improvement.
Preserve Community Voice—Without Preserving Inequity
Opponents will claim this is a loss of “local control.” But what does that really mean when a small district’s autonomy translates into worse outcomes for students?
County-wide districts can still maintain local advisory councils, regional superintendents, or community-specific leadership teams to keep schools connected to their neighborhoods. What we lose in parochialism, we gain in fairness and fiscal sanity.
Align With County Government and Public Services
Most state services already operate at the county level—health departments, courts, elections, emergency management. Aligning school governance with county lines would improve interagency coordination and make education administration more responsive and intuitive.
Reform Rooted in Precedent and Purpose
This isn’t a leap into the unknown. Pennsylvania has done this before. In the 1960s, the state consolidated over 2,500 school districts into 500. The next logical step is to bring order to the remaining tangle by aligning with county governments.
Rep. Scott’s proposal for a formal study is the first step. But that study should go further than Rendell’s 100-district goal. Sixty-seven districts—one per county—offers the clearest path to efficiency, equity, and transparency.
We have an opportunity to create a school system that truly serves all Pennsylvanians. Let’s not settle for half-measures.
It’s time to get serious—and act with ambition. One county. One district. One future.
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