Presenting a brief history of the rural village school in Great Britain, this paper addresses the pros and cons of consolidation. Drawing upon a Schools' Council survey (1975), research conducted in North Wales re: population decrease, and research on more than 600 pupils in 26 schools re: reading attainment, the problems of cost are analyzed in terms of three models: spare capacity model (reorganization without any expenditure on new buildings); area school replacement model (consolidation); and remote schools model (schools which must be maintained no matter how small they become). This analysis indicates that primary school reorganization in the country must be considered on an individual basis, since costs are not automatically decreased via consolidation. Discussion of relative reading attainments suggests there is no significant difference between the attainments of children in one- and two-teacher schools and those in larger schools. Small school teacher effectiveness is discussed in terms of five categories (good to bad) derived from conversations with teacher advisors, the conclusion being that one- and two-teacher schools are as effective as their teachers. Suggestions for more efficient educational delivery systems in rural areas are presented as follows: small school affiliation with a larger school to absorb the poorer teachers in transfers; voluntary early retirement; resource vans staffed by professionals to disseminate educational materials and methodology; policy guidelines for reorganization schemes, including a review session every fifth year. (JC)