This study considers the experience of school mapping restructure (SMR) in areas of rural China. It aims to understand what happened after SMR implementation. Through a combination of instruments such as questionnaires, interviews and document analysis, the study finds that SMR has impacted positively on the development of education in terms of generating scaling benefits, improved school conditions and educational quality, and more equitable distribution of educational resources. However, there remain several associated problems including longer schooling commute, household financial restrictions and student pressures, and increased teacher work-loads. The study recommends that more structured plans should be developed. Increased stakeholder participation should be enabled, and by providing increased teaching resources to rural schools, implementation should be improved.