Hard choices for rural schools

Wise County school leaders will soon be forced to deal with an unpleasant reality.

The county simply cannot afford to spend $110 million to renovate its six aging high schools. Student enrollment – about 2,000 at the high school level – doesn’t justify such an expenditure.

Some combination of consolidation and new school construction seems to be the best solution. But it will never be easy – no matter how long school leaders wait.

At Monday’s School Board meeting, consolidation opponents from the St. Paul community made an impassioned plea to spare their small school, which has received national attention for its innovative academic programs. In fact, it appears the majority of the student body turned out to make the case for their school. The students said they are planning to appeal to Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates for support.

Absent an outside benefactor, St. Paul has a few factors in its favor. It is the newest of the high schools by two decades and is in better physical condition. It also draws a significant portion of its students from nearby Russell County. Perhaps Russell and Wise counties could operate the school jointly as a charter or magnet school. Wise County taxpayers shouldn’t shoulder the entire burden of educating Russell County’s students.

The situation is more dire at the county’s five other high schools, built more than 50 years ago. Years of neglect have taken their toll; the schools need major repairs – everything from the installation of air conditioning to electrical work. They are not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Many consolidation opponents favor patching up the existing schools so that all remain open. But it seems short-sighted to spend millions on stop-gap repairs to 50-year-old buildings. And some problems – like handicapped accessibility or energy efficiency – are not easily remedied in older schools.

New schools could be a point of pride for the county and an economic development selling point.

The consolidation question isn’t unique to Wise County. Rural communities across the nation are grappling with the same dilemma.

Across the state line, Sullivan County, Tenn., faces a similar issue. The county has 28 schools, including four high schools, and declining enrollment. Some of the schools are older; some are in need of significant repairs.

County leaders just received a preliminary report that could help guide decisions to shut some schools and build others. The report indicates the county will continue to lose students – perhaps 2,000 or more over several years.

Similar demographic changes are at work in Wise and Sullivan counties. Families with young children are settling in the region’s cities, rather than its rural communities. Both counties have growing retiree populations.

In both counties, leaders need to move beyond the emotions that surround school closure decisions. They must weigh the costs of continued operation and needed improvements.

Modern, well-maintained schools are essential. Community pride shouldn’t consign students to attend outdated schools that no longer function as intended.