(Syndicated to Kansas newspapers Sept. 15, 2014)
This school district consolidation issue is one of those hot button topics that on its face seems simple, if you don’t look at it very long or critically.
It’s one that you can toss around a gubernatorial campaign pretty easily, again, if you don’t look at it very long or critically.
Start with the most comfortable presumption that everyone wants his/her kids or grandkids to be within walking distance–or maybe a short bus ride—of their school. And, they want that school to have smart teachers, a good library and school lunches and probably even a good football team for those Friday night games.
And…this is the tough part…nobody wants to pay much in the way of taxes, either to the state or local property taxes, for those schools.