Consolidation can help

I read in the paper almost every day about how school district consolidation is a bad thing. Consolidation does not have to be bad. Other places have had great success with school consolidations. I used to live in Florida and the schools were set up by county. The big cities were the only ones to have their own schools.

I know change is hard, but the voters almost passed TABOR. Although it did not pass, the vote was really close.

Some say the state needs to pay more for the schools. Each time the state tries to help schools all you hear are complaints. People seem to be paranoid and afraid to lose control. Each town could still have a person on the school board.

The voters have spoken! Either the state government curbs runaway spending or the voters do. If we want the state to pay a larger share of our schools expense, we must allow them to consolidate our schools as necessary. Many of the complaints we read about in the media are from people who are afraid of losing their jobs. Some of the educators use the people to cause panic in order to keep their jobs.

Some fear change would cause the loss of local control. Everyone who has a budget knows you must make some hard choices in order to pay for what you want. Our school system is no different. Everyone concerned about school taxes should go online and see how much it would save each town.

I feel what the governor is trying to do is to get our taxes down. I do not have children, but I did go through school here in Maine and I pay my share of taxes. The state has to make a standard so no child will be left behind. The time for talk has come and gone.

Wayne A. Griffeth Jr.

Charleston