It can be difficult - to say the least - for people in a small school district to let go when talk about consolidation begins. But they should take pride in what they have accomplished over the years, and remember that their future intent is for their children and grandchildren to have the best education possible. In other words, what they are doing is a GOOD thing.
The Armstrong-Ringsted school board has finally decided to move ahead on a plan to consolidate with North Sentral Kossuth, if those schools will do the same. The A-R board voted this week to hire a facilitator who would formulate a recommendation on how best to combine Armstrong-Ringsted, North Kossuth and Sentral schools. The A-R board wants all three to agree to the facilitator's plan ahead of time. That way, no one can back out if they don't like it.
We believe that what the school board is doing is courageous, timely and necessary. The state of Iowa is pressuring small districts to team up, and is punishing those that do not. Consolidation offers students more stability and more choices. And giving students a brighter future in the face of potential public outcry speaks well of board members.
We wish the best of luck to Armstrong-Ringsted and its potential partners as they move ahead on drafting a plan. We hope North Kossuth and Sentral will make the kind of commitment A-R has to doing what is needed and what is right.