In West Texas, a Town's Fate Tied to Its School
MARATHON — If you close the school, you close the town.
The phrase has the burnish of a truism in this outpost amid the vast, high-desert expanse of far West Texas, about 50 miles north of Big Bend National Park. The 400 or so residents here are closely watching the fate of their tiny public school — and working hard to keep it open.
The senior class at Marathon Independent School District will have a valedictorian this spring — Michelle Campbell, 17. She is also the only senior. With a pre-kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment of just 56 students, Marathon ISD is one ...
Comments (6)
Kathi Thomas via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Oh, heck, put them on a bus and let them ride for a couple of hours- isn't that the "free market" way? After all, they're "just" kids.:(
Neal Grolnic
And yet most of the voters in the district voted for the "No New Taxes" idiots. What did they think was going to happen.
Oh wait. They didn't think. That's the problem with voters across this country. They are incapable of thinking beyond the next few minutes.
Jeff Nelson
I'm sorry, but keeping a school district with a total of 56 kids just so property values stay up is not a good enough reason. Think about what the superintendent makes, the principals, and all the teachers there. Too much money when a simple solution is available.
Mac Mcclure via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The most important fact in the article was that he got rid of four staff positions. If you can get rid of four in a 56 student district imagine how many you cold get rid of in a 50,000 student district. You need to start looking at the school problem with money saving solutions.
Michelle Eastham via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I agree scale matters. Can you image how much can be saved in urban areas with consolidation of adminstrations and easing caps, etc.
Marcus Cunningham via Texas Tribune on Facebook
What districts (or schools even) would you consolidate in Texas' urban areas? All the big cities have exactly one district, not including high-income districts like Highland Park which would rather not share it's resources. Many of the high schools already have 5,000+ students, so sharing administrations isn't really in anyone's best interest.