I disagree with some of the comments made by Mr. Cazad of Barboursville, West Virginia. All organizations have problems time and again. However, that is why we have elected boards and an open forum for problems and concerns in our state. Sometimes these problems are solved through the media, the law, parent or teacher revolt, and ultimately the individual vote. We call this democracy. It is sometimes a timely way to make decisions, but it is the best process on this earth.

Cabell county has made the "tough" decisions and not all decisions have been popular. This includes myself, but nearly all decisions have been based upon research and the goal of spending the least amount of money for the best education per dollar for our students. Ninety percent of the time, students come first. That is an awesome showing.

This process can sometimes be a battle between sports, academics, the arts, teacher unions, those not in teacher unions, parents, and many other factions. All are a part of the education community. As a product of the Cabell County education system and now a teacher participant, this system works and has worked through many changes and educational battles to use the system more wisely and efficiently as the years have passed.

Change is the most difficult hurdle for the human race, whether good or bad. I would even say that in many instances change is not for the good.
In every organized school district across the country former students and current students in public education consider themselves experts in this field. It takes a true love for students when the community decides to take a good hard look at their system and agree that it has failed and students could have so much more academically if the system got more bang for the buck.

Please thoughtfully consider the success of Cabell County as a partial model for your system. Throw pride asside and take what you need, modify the things that partially "fit", and hold tight to the things that have worked for your education community. Place students at the core of your decisions and make the tough decisions necessary to turn finances around. This may be administrative cuts immediately. Streamline those areas first. This happened in our system and were needed to restore faculty and staff confidence in the educational structure.

Good luck and many prayers for wisdom to those who are elected to make these decisions. Be patient with one another. As a community choose to be less critical and listen more to the ideas of others.

Don't go off the deep end, folks. All is not well within the Cabell system. We as taxpayers are saddled constantly with bonded indebtedness so that consolidations of schools could occur. From 1993 or 1994, our tax load has soared to provide some $180 million to build two new high schools, three new middle schools, and three or four new elementary schools. And we are in the process now of trying to fund an additional middle school (probably without any bond, but with 90% plus funding from the state.)

And Cabell County is a small county, 117,000 population in a county that takes about twenty minutes to cross (on the interstate) but more like 45 minutes on the streets, in and out of hollows and over hills. Some of our kids in the far southwestern part of the county who attend the rural high school (Midland) are on a bus for over 1 hour 20 minutes each way, even though policy calls for a maximum of 30 minutes each way. The usual ride time is about 25 minutes.

Politically the local BOE is in trouble. Bad decisions (like the go it alone middle school) and the use of the closed high school for the admin building (voters were promised the use of that building as the replacement middle school when the first bond (1992) was voted upon.)

All is not peaches and cream. Think and do a lot of research before you agree to any consolidations or think about changing from the local independent districts. After living in Texas, California, Ohio and Michigan, and the West Virginia, I much prefer the local independent districts--voters have input then, much better than in a full county system.

I'm sure West Virginia has some great, and efficient schools in their system designed over 125 years ago. In Michigan over 125 years ago our forefathers chose to establish school districts on a Township-wide, rather than a County-wide basis, and our current day school district boundaries, buildings, and infrastructure reflect that. If we could turn the clock back 100 years and predict that transportation and technology would evolve to what is has in the 2000s Michigan would probably choose county schools too. But, unfortunately it's too late. Over the past 100 years communities have been established around our Township schools system and buildings have been constructed. In the 1950s and 60s mass school consolidation occurred and Michigan went from more than 5,600 school districts to today's number of less than 550. Further consolidation seems like a simple solution, but the problem is under Michigan's funding system combining two smaller poor school districts would simply make one large poor school district. Consolidation of services(such as transportation and business operations) is a more viable option that could save money and improve efficiencies

I am a teacher in Cabell County and I can tell you that there are bad administrators and teachers all over the U.S. But by and large most educators are people who are concerned about the children they teach and give up countless hours after school doing school work at home. We get paid for 10 months not 12. But like I tell people, "This is the profession I chose and I knew that I wouldn't be making a whole lot of money." You have to like teaching and seeing children learn. It's well worth it. By the way we are not perfect in Cabell County, but I would put our county up against any county in the U.S.

Why hasn't Michigan considered this before? We're in a recession for crying out loud! All these education experts who say "We're looking at every option for the budget" clearly hasn't looked everywhere.

Just look at your schools today, football fields, tracks, a huge gym for basketball, swiming pools, tennis courts, baseball and softball facilities and hockey teams, the kids are lucky they even have time time to learn! As taxpayers we owe the kids a world class/global education, a safe ride to school and an affordable lunch program which maybe the only square meal a kid gets all day. Pay to play has arrived folks, if you want your kids to become sports stars then invest your OWN money in them, we taxpayers only have enough money for the education part!

Unfortunately MI is experiencing continual job loss in many area and merging school districts would create the loss of more jobs lost. However, it is the smart business thing to do. The savings isn't just on the 'Supers', efficiency in bus routes and school district regions could be re-written to save money. Just think of how the schools could grow their buying power with school suppliers and food companies.

Great idea!

Michigan has good schools. However, They waste alot of money. Not just the "Super" position, Overall the money is spent with out further thought....And then the Parents Clubs hound for more...Out of Control..Its time to make the change..

Listen, superintendents are always so scrutinized, they have to make the tough decisions, like layoffs and closing schools. Any money they make is well deserved. And if you don't like what they make, go scream at the school board, they're the ones that set the salary!!!

Iosco county has some very close school systems. Oscoda high school is 15 miles from Tawas high school and 20 miles from Alcona high school. Tawas is about 20 miles from Hale high school. Hale high school is 15 miles from Whittemore high school and Whittemore high school is 11.9 mile from Arenac Eastern high school. To finish up Arenac Eastern is 11 miles from Augres Sims high school.

I wonder how much money could be saved with one central office and staff for all the school districts listed.

Totally agree with Ellen. Teachers have been underpaid historically, and for what, to line the pockets of superintendents! All while our children suffer. Let's consolidate!

Michigan is already under enough financial pressure. I think all the school Superintendents should be willing to forego their hefty paychecks and be willing to consolidate for the betterment of the state. More money could be invested in curriculum and teachers could be paid more if we didn't have to pay for so many beaucrats !

We need to get rid of all these superintendents and principals that are making $100,000 or more. They work only 8 months out of the year. If you call going to conferences and sitting around "work."

Consolidation is the only way to go. Better buying power and more efficiency.

I feel bad for those who would lose their jobs, but kids would benefit from the reduced bureaucracy. We can't have all these bureaucrats getting rich off our tax dollars in the name of "education."