Is a JPA necessary for schools to work together?
No, it is not a necessity and many avenues for collaboration have been used by school districts over the years. However, JPAs do utilize a comprehensive, big picture look at planning regionally as opposed to some consortia that deal strictly with one issue. JPAs also build trust among school administrators and school board members as they work together on issues of joint concern. JPAs also encourage the partnership of nontraditional entities to increase regional strength.
