It is the purpose of this study: (1) To provide a description of the seventeen school districts within the boundaries of the Lodi Union High School District in the matters of: (A) Financial status: (i) Assessed valuation per district, (ii) Assessed valuation per A.D.A., (iii) Expenditure costs per A.D.A., (iv) Present tax rate, (v) Bonded indebtedness; (B) Enrollment: (i) Past, present, and projected, (ii) Multiple graded classrooms; (C) Educational services; (D) Schoolhousing and facilities in present use; (E) Ecological factors (2) To examine these facts and conditions in view of the criteria of an adequate unified school district organization in regard to: (A) Financial structure; (B) Size of proposed district; (C) Educational services; (D) Ecological factors (3) Finally, to ascertain if unification of the seventeen elementary school districts will fulfill the objectives as adopted by the State Board of Education, which are as follows: (A) To produce a more effectively coordinated program of education for all levels of the State’s public school system through strong local school district organization, with single administrative control over all levels of public education in a given area.; (B) To provide a more efficient use of public funds, brought about by the creation of school districts capable of furnishing necessary educational services at a reasonable unit cost.; (C) To provide a better and more equalized educational opportunity for all children in the State through the creation of school districts sufficient in size to be able to provide curricular offerings and other services not possible under existing organization.; (D) To effect as great a degree of equalization of financial resources on the local level as circumstances will permit.

The problem of this study was to answer the question: "How to community groups participate in the formation and interim operation of unified school districts?" Interim operation is the period of time following a successful election when the newly chosen governing board is preparing for the actual operation of the district, which occurs on the first succeeding or second succeeding July 1, depending upon the date of the election.4 The first purpose of this research was to discover (1) the attitudes of community groups toward unification, (2) the manner in which community groups supported or opposed unification, and (3) the ways that community groups involved themselves with the governing boards in the interim operation of the new districts. The second purpose was to recommend changes in legislation The third purpose was to recommend guidelines to local communities for otimum participation in the unification movement.

Should the elementary schools of the Linden Union High School District consolidate into larger administrative units in order to improve educational services? To determine if a plane of reorganization is feasible answers will be sought for the following questions: (1) What is the financial ability of the existing school districts?; (2) Are there inequalities in the economic burden of support?; (3) Are there educational inequalities?; (4) Is widespread transportation feasible?; (5) What are the population trends?; (6) What barriers affect district reorganization?; (7) Where are the community interest centers?; (8) What reorganization is educationally sound?