Stunning news from the U.S. Department of Education regarding just how bad the environment in larger schools seems to have become.

In the first such figures that seem to have been made generally available recently, it has been revealed that when broken down into school size, data regarding school problems seem to follow a very definite pattern...and it isn't pretty for youngsters compelled to attend large schools. The Education Department broke schools down into three size categories of under 300, then 300 to 999, and 1,000 or more.

*Physical conflicts among students appears to be an astounding 238% higher in the schools of 1,000 or more than in schools of 300 or less.

*Robbery and theft an incredible 600% higher in the big schools as compared to the small.

*Student drug use 362% higher in the schools of over 1,000 than in the schools less than 300.

*Sale of drugs on school grounds 11 to 1 (correct!) greater in the schools of 1,000 as compared to less than 300 enrollment.

*Verbal abuse of teachers, 371% higher....and the lists go on and on and on.

A very clear picture seems to emerge that the smaller schools are indeed more manageable, in addition to earlier data that clearly shows that both graduation rates and student achievement are equal or much better at smaller schools.

Could it be that moves toward "Charter Schools" and "Voucher Schools" are not so much for program content, but more out of a growing realization that smaller, neighborhood oriented schools work best and that the vaunted 'so-called efficient' mega-schools simply do not work and may actually be destroying public education?

Is it any wonder that rural areas are so supportive of their community based and managed schools?

The results, even just in draft form, are very sobering toward any move to eliminate the small schools.