Consolidations come in all shapes and sizes, including mergers, annexations and dissolutions. They do not all take place under state mandate, however. A handful of districts consolidate every year in some states like Illinois that have large numbers of small districts, many of them dual districts that serve K-8 or 9-12 in the same geographic area. This article talks about district consolidation and the political, logistical and financial challenges associated with it. This article also provides several strategies from school superintendents that can help ease the most likely headaches.