As advocates of small schools and those supporting school consolidation come to terms with declining enrollments and rising costs, here’s the conundrum both face: consolidation is the right short-term answer to cost-cutting to contain higher and higher taxes, but it’s the wrong answer to building a stronger, more diverse statewide economy. It’s a trickier question when asking which most benefits the student, because no two people are the same and what benefit one may not work as well for another. But no mat … (read more)