All about school consolidation

Update 12:55 3 Nov 2011: LCBOE's own video of their 1 November open forum on Financial Issues of Consolidation is now available on YouTube.
Apparently there are still many people out there who don't know much about school consolidation. A quick yet comprehensive way to find out is to read the Grassroots Handbook Against School Consolidation by David Mullis.

See also the statements against consolidation by both school boards. Many citizens spoke at the 29 August 2011 VBOE meeting where all but one Valdosta School Board member voted for the statement against consolidation. VBOE then held three open forums:

• 8 September 2011 at Valdosta High School
• 20 September 2011 at Valdosta Middle School
• 25 October 2011 at JL Lomax Elementary School

The Lowndes County Board of Education spelled out its reasons in its unanimous resolution against consolidation of 30 August 2011. LCBOE has organized two open forums, both at Lowndes High School:

• 4 October 2011
• Tonight, 1 November 2011
  Update 12:55 3 Nov 2011: LCBOE's own video is now available on YouTube.

All of these forums organized by the school boards have had an open mic where anyone could come up and speak or ask questions, except the first, which took written questions.

Then there's the quite detailed Valdosta City Council resolution against consolidation. Before that there were the numerous statements pro and con by Valdosta City Council members when they voted 25 August 2011 about putting the referendum on the ballot.

Compare to the videos of CUEE's

• 24 March 2011 Kick-Off meeting, or
• the videos of CUEE's 27 September 2011 dog-and-pony show where CUEE demolished its own case.

No one but CUEE or Chamber or invited guests could stand up and speak. Questions were only taken in writing, and selected by CUEE.

Then there was a meeting 21 October 2011 at the VSU Continuing Education Center with invitations by telephone in the middle of the night. Who called it was unclear, who was invited even less, for what purpose there was no consensus, yet there was a decision by the pair of presiding college presidents. It was not advertised to the public and apparently not even to the newspaper of record.

Friends of Valdosta City Schools

• gave a press conference 7 July 2011 at which several people spoke against consolidation
• and, in conjunction with Vote No for the Children, SCLC, NAACP, etc., held a 300-person march 22 October 2011 at which even more people spoke.

Finally, there was the one and only forum with pro and con consolidation advocates standing side by side answering questions, organized 2 May 2011 at the Lowndes County Democratic Party meeting by Gretchen Quarterman.

So, if you don't know about consolidation, pick your source, and you can find out a lot pretty fast. Read, watch, or attend in person tonight.

-jsq