There is a persistent debate over the role of scale of operations in education. Some argue that school franchises offer educational services more effectively than do small independent schools. Skeptics counter that large, centralized operations create hard-to-manage bureaucracies and foster...

Co-operation, clustering - whether formal or informal - and the use of new technologies can all offer ways to relieve the isolation of small schools. Expanding the range of educational and social services they provide can enhance their contribution to their communities. This report, which...