Lawmakers Consider Study Of Reducing Number Of Pa. School Districts

HARRISBURG (CBS) -- The state House committee has approved a resolution that would authorize a study of consolidating Pennsylvania school districts, which currently number 500.

It's an issue that seemingly has been around forever, without gaining any traction: reducing what some people believe is the unwieldy number of school districts in Pennsylvania. But Montgomery County Republican Mike Vereb is taking another stab at it.

Monday morning the state House Education Committee approved a measure he is sponsoring to authorize a study of the idea.

Vereb believes pressure to increase school funding may cause lawmakers to give more serious consideration to consolidating school districts.

"I do think something is going to come of this, because the reality of it is, is people aren't willing to vote tax votes up here, they're going to have to be willing to find savings. And that's where I think it will get legs this time."

Vereb believes data gathered by a commission that led to a new school funding formula for Pennsylvania could serve as a starting point for this study of reducing the number of school districts.