School Consolidation and School Buses

I wonder if the school consolidations are working like those in Augusta thought they would. I went to a high school basketball game a few weeks ago and noticed that the bus the team traveled now had a host of town names on them that when I went to school were rivals. So I guess the answer to my question is it must be working.

I know some teachers in some school districts locally who teach everyday knowing that the next round of budget cuts may mean their jobs are eliminated. I guess we should not pay attention the fact that " Education is the way to make sure that future generations continue to grow and prosper in this great country" or so say the oracles from Washington. Yet whenever a budget cut is needed education takes the hit.

Penobscot County now has a shiny new courthouse in Bangor. It is a wonderful facility with all the modern features that were needed to keep people safe in the sometimes volatile environment of a court setting. Consolidation of departments has taken place here as well. I am told it is going so well that the work has tripled while the combined staff is still just one plus one. Do you remember when we were told of the coming paperless office. Technology always improves but rarely does it make things as easy or efficient as promised.

Sooner or later as furlough days and budget cuts bring about the obvious delays in services and inefficiencies and in the case of schools " lower test scores" we will make some changes and realize that the people hired do make a difference. People cannot always be replaced by efficiencies.

But in the case of the school districts at least whoever is changing the names on the buses has a job that is secure.