District consolidation in Texas an uphill battle

From The Austin American-Statesman: More than 60 percent of Texas' 1,029 traditional school districts have fewer than 1,500 students, and the state's Supreme Court has repeatedly questioned whether that makes sense when budgets are tight. New lawsuits challenging the state's school finance system could once again focus attention on the question of whether combining some small districts might save money. But the answer from lawmakers is likely to be familiar: Consolidating school districts carries too much political risk and offers little fiscal payoff.