Gov. Mark Sanford wants South Carolina to have more neighborhood schools, with smaller student populations. It's a quaint and politically popular notion, but it has the potential to be enormously expensive for local school districts that already are suffering from the legislature's painful budget cuts.

Sanford's initiative also usurps local control of public schools -- this from a governor who claims to favor local control.

The governor's measure would increase not only capital expenses but operational costs as well. Smaller schools would mean more teachers and administrative leaders would need to be hired.

Smaller schools do cost more money per student. Districts throughout the state, in fact, recently have had to go in the opposite direction -- toward larger schools -- as the legislature has cut education funding. Districts have been forced to increase class sizes.

Sanford's proposal would create mischief by usurping local control through a one-size-fits-all mandate. It implies the governor and legislature know more about organizing schools than do local school boards and educators.

Certainly, smaller neighborhood schools are popular with teachers and the public. But local school districts are best equipped to decide how large schools should be -- and what local taxpayers can afford.

The legislature should oppose Sanford's expensive attempt to micromanage school size from Columbia.