MANY FACTORS ARE RELATED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OPTIMUM SIZE FOR SCHOOL ORGANIZATION. BEFORE A STATE CAN ANSWER THE QUESTION OF SIZE, IT SHOULD PERHAPS FIRST ANSWER THE QUESTIONS--WHAT DO WE WANT THE STATE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO ACCOMPLISH, AND WHAT ARE THE STRUCTURAL ALTERNATIVES THAT WILL BE BEST FOR OUR STATE. WHEN THESE ARE ANSWERED, SIZE THEN BECOMES A FACTOR IN DETERMINING THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAMS WITHIN THE STRUCTURE. A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE REVEALS VARIOUS SIZE FIGURES ESTABLISHED THROUGH RESEARCH AND SURVEYS OF EXISTING SYSTEMS. WHILE THESE FIGURES ARE HELPFUL, IT MUST BE REMEMBERED THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SIZE FACTOR IS NOT IN THE NUMBERS THEMSELVES BUT IN WHAT THE NUMBERS CAN PRODUCE IN RELATION TO THE EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES. ANOTHER FACTOR WHICH MUST BE CONSIDERED IS THAT THE INDIVIDUAL PARTS OF A STATE SCHOOL SYSTEM STRUCTURE ARE INEXTRICABLY RELATED. A BALANCE IS GENERALLY MAINTAINED, AND TO CHANGE ANY PART WITHOUT GIVING CAREFUL CONSIDERATION TO THE OTHERS MAY CAUSE SERIOUS PROBLEMS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE STATE. AS WITH SIZE, STRUCTURE IS NOT IMPORTANT IN AND OF ITSELF BUT ONLY WHEN IT IS RELATED TO THE TASKS THAT STRUCTURE CAN ACCOMPLISH TO MEET THE EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES OF THE STATE. TABLES PROVIDED IN THE APPENDIX INDICATE SIZES FOUND IN THE CURRENT LITERATURE AND CITE VARIOUS STATE SIZE RECOMMENDATIONS. (DK)