Beating a dead horse?

Another consolidation column? Get over it!
I will, but not yet.
I printed an opinion piece on consolidation in the Feb. 21 issue of the Washington County News that was originally posted on this blog on Feb. 14.
Though commentary on the topic has been slim at best in both the newspaper and on this blog (unlike the good ‘ol days when the mere mention of the “c-word” would start the letters to the editor flowing), I still think it is a topic worthy of discussion, especially since learning of the continued talks between the Republic County and Pike Valley districts on consolidation.
To me, leaving potentially millions of incentive dollars from the state on the table along with heavy tax savings potential for the USD 223 patrons, when we wouldn’t even have to close a school to do it, is ridiculous and wasteful. Plain and simple.
Maybe folks don’t understand. A district consolidation does not mean we have to close any grade schools, high schools or anything in the existing districts. A consolidation does not force all the kids to have to go to Washington County High School – Linn and Hanover High would still exist in the most basic form of a consolidation. At its simplest, we would get a new school district number and centralize the district office. That’s it.
My biggest fear is that we pass up this limited opportunity of benefits from the state now by not acting on the consolidation effort, but then when Linn runs out of enough students in five years to keep its high school, the patrons will decide to do something then and receive no tax benefit for their action. We would have missed the tax incentives by three and a half years because patrons decided, as one school board member said, they wouldn’t want to do anything until they were forced.
So let’s hear it. What do you think? If you register for free and sign in on this blog with a name like “Catfan” or “Cooldude”, nobody will know who you are. So take this opportunity to say what you really think about consolidation while staying totally anonymous. You have to sign your name for letters printed in the newspaper, but not on this blog.
And remember, we’re all adults here, there is no reason to get personal. “Keep it pithy” as Bill O’Reilly would say. I want to hear what you think.