Even after cutting the school week to four days to save money, Elbert County’s cash-strapped school board may close two of the county’s five elementary schools.

http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2012-02-04/cash-strapped-elbert-may-c...

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Admittedly, with the U.S. economy in such poor shape, it seems shocking to hear that a local school district would be closing down educational institutions. Or, perhaps this sort of surreal shock was all the liberal minded reported had in mind when he conjured, really, out of whole cloth, a misleading image?

In the first place, it's very doubtful that the Elbert county system fell victim to the "scrooge-like" budget cuts taken by state government. It's more likely that the school system was in perilous financial straits even before the state and national governments suffered a budget-busting financial crisis. Did they just recently approve a new borrowing measure (SPLOST) even when they already had budget concerns?

WHAT in the world, then, must have occurred THERE for them to have to close schools?

Well, perhaps they spent too much money? Perhaps they borrowed too much, and built facilities that were unneeded, and that they couldn't really pay for? Financial mismanagement can take many forms; the good news is that the folks in Elbert county did the perp walk and are now attempting to put the system back on a sound, sustainable footing. That's the best thing in the world to do for the kids and teachers; and one wonders why it wasn't done years ago!

Of course, like Elbert, many of our public school systems are probably not on a sustainable footing. This means that in the local Clarke County School District , and elsewhere, teachers may be facing significant layoffs and some buildings -- perhaps newly constructed ones -- are going to be shuttered. Our Board of Education* members spent too much money, and poorly managed their budgets. It's THEIR fault that children will suffer when the budget axe falls! They were entrusted to protect these children and the school districts' teachers and staff. Lord knows they spend A LOT of money with various public relations efforts to tell us how GOOD the Clarke County School District really is. But is it really when it faces a do-it-yourself budget crisis? Will they attempt to mislead the public -- like the reporter did for Elbert -- and tell us that state cutbacks wrecked their budgets causing them to fire teachers and close schools? (Or, will they put up billboards around town announcing how poorly they have managed the finances of the school district; and explaining the ill-consequences of the poor choices they made?)

No doubt a lot of political leaders will tune-in and watch the great public school boards debate coming locally, and all over the USA! They failed in their first and most important obligation -- fiscal management -- and now the children are going to suffer because it. Can they talk their way out of it and put the blame on someone else??!!

Clarke County School Board:

http://www.clarke.k12.ga.us/board_members.cfm?master=2