I've heard it said countless times that schools can't expect to operate the same way ten years from now.

Yet that’s not quite the same sentiment reflected by last week's school budget vote, when all eight districts in the county passed a 2013-2014 budget and the subsequent tax increase tied to them. Most districts hovered that magical two percent increase that voters tend to approve. Not to be misunderstood, I think it's great so much support is behind these districts but nevertheless, I question what we are paying for, and if each budget passed is simply prolonging an inevitable consolidation of some Chenango County schools.

Even with the recent economic uptick, the New York State Education Department insists that population and cost trends in schools statewide indicate a need for strategies that support district consolidation and regionalization of services. Local districts are facing tough times with little evidence to show otherwise. Rising costs of uncontrollable expenses – pension, healthcare, transportation and special education services – continue to plague schools without any sign of relief in sight. Adding salt to an open wound, the statewide tax cap is tying the hands of school officials from dealing with these issues without hurtful cuts to programs or faculty. Moreover, enrollment has dropped significantly in each district in Chenango County (by more than 18 percent at Unadilla Valley since 2007, and nearly 17 percent in Oxford in the same time).