A nationwide mandate is a clumsy tool with which to tune up a neighborhood school. Coos Bay’s Madison Elementary School is a case in point, demonstrating one reason for Congress to revisit the Bush-era program, No Child Left Behind.

The federal No Child law includes a nobly intentioned requirement for every school to show broad annual improvement in test scores. Madison’s general student body met the standard this year, but its special education students fell short in reading and math.

As a result, the whole school and its hard-working staff are labeled as failures. The federally prescribed remedy is to give Madison parents the option of moving their children to other schools. Not just special ed kids. Any kids.

If parents take the offer, children who are doing fine at Madison will start riding buses to other Coos Bay schools. The money for their daily round trip will come from the state, which presumably will divert it from teaching children elsewhere.

This outcome can only be described as bizarre. It may embarrass the staff at Madison, but how will it help children?

A similar situation exists in Myrtle Point, with an important difference. Students can’t leave Myrtle Crest School, because the district has no other.

The No Child law arose from a legitimate yearning for accountability in schools. An argument can be made that the law is achieving some gains. It clearly is pushing Coos Bay officials to step up their efforts in special education, and that’s good.

But can anyone explain how loading Madison students onto buses will improve their future, or America’s?

Congress needs to revisit No Child. Closer to home, Madison parents have the power to prevent an illogical, disruptive outcome, by simply opting to keep their kids where they are.