Rural school challenges requires new thinking 

The story about the state education secretary coming to town to address rural school issues is a continuation of the call for more money [“Ed secretary hears about rural school challenges,” Recorder, May 9]. More money is always welcome but doesn't solve the problems. Like any other enterprise, budgets require revenue and cost control. A stunning number from the article is the attendance of 35 superintendents. In my estimation a superintendent costs $250,000 per year between salary, benefits, retirement and support staff.  Thiry-five x $250,000 = $8.75 million spent on administration and not education. In Franklin County there's at least eight superintendents. That cost is $2 million per year.

I have family in Chesterfield County, Virginia which is adjacent to Richmond. It's a suburban/rural county with a far larger population than Franklin County and has one school superintendent. How is it that system runs successfully with one superintendent and we are in chronic crisis with eight? I think it's time for the school committees to stop tenaciously clinging to the policies of the past that have our students advancing to the rear and look and learn from others. They could start with an exercise in algebra. With the current rate of decline in student population and the rate of increase in administration how long will it be before the number of administrators is equal to or greater than the number of students?

Making Franklin County a single school district with one superintendent would reallocate funds dedicated to education. A single school district is more likely to invite competitive bidding for transportation. Four times a day a school bus the size of an aircraft carrier goes by my house with two kids in it. How is that efficient?

The pandemic created challenges and hardships. It also created a new way of working. Today we have many people working remotely. It's a skill that should be fostered and taught. If we had one day a week of remote learning it teaches working independently and reduces transportation by 20%. It's my view that it's a better investment than aircraft carrier fuel.

Leo Ojala

Shelburne

]]>