I totally agree that meetings should be (and are probably required by your state law to be) open to the public, published ahead of time, and include input from the public sector.
Try looking up these websites:
National Association of Elementary School Principals
National Center for Educational Statistics
The Small Schools Workshop
The Rural Schools and Community Trust
They contain a lot of valuable information about school configurations, statistics of performance, and more. Also try the
National PTA website
; you may find some info there about open meetings, sharing information, and including the public in important decisions.
I can say that my district is very fortunate to have a superintendent who is committed to including the public in the major decisions we are facing. She has made every effort to hear concerns and apply as much of what she has gathered as possible to the process of determining what to do with our buildings.
Since my last post, I have heard the new proposal and met with my principal and superintendent. This is probably the best proposal put forth with regards of the best utilization of our buildings and has the most educational benefits for our children.
Communication with the decision-makers is very important as an advocacy group for children. I wish you luck and if I think of any other sites or come across any articles, I will be sure to forward them along to you.