Is Independence a Strength Overdone in Independent Schools

Any strength done to excess becomes a weakness. Could the same be true of the independence of independent schools? We cherish our independence from governmental control and the freedoms that gains for our schools, but is it possible that independence about everything costs us in return? Must every school, no matter how small or how close to another school, have its own business office, or human resources department, or food service, or gymnasium and performing arts center? By "independent education" do we mean that the school is independent in every imaginable way, or might there be benefits to a shared services model that can scale beyond a single school?Food for thought.