August 7, 2002
 
 Dear Editor,
 
 I am writing in support of the position taken by the Cumberland Times News in the August 4th paper concerning consolidation in Allegany County Public Schools. I also commend them for bringing up the “c” word. They are correct in assuming that this will be a topic that will dominate the election next month, as well it should.
 
 Allegany County has long been losing population, both overall and school age. Even though there has been consolidation, with the enrollment continuing to decline we need to look at every way possible to get the very most from all our schools for all our students.
 
 There has long been the attitude of community vs community as to resources, tax dollars spent, etc. It is time that the school board looks at the county as a whole. We have too many students leaving the school system without having received the best education possible. Consolidation of schools at the secondary level will give all the students better and more equal educational opportunities. High school students should have a full offering of challenging courses without having to be concerned that there may not be enough students to justify having a desired class. They should not have to make a choice between two courses they would like to take because the classes are offered only once due to enrollment and scheduling. They should not have to wait a year to take a class or miss it entirely because a school can only offer a certain class every other year.
 
 Our students need to be challenged if they are going to be able to get into good colleges and progress on to medical, law, or engineering schools. Consolidation of underutilized schools, as indicated in the Facilities Utilization Study, better utilizes our existing resources so that the students in the school system receive the best education possible.
 
 Though the situation today is better than it was when the county had eight high schools, there is still room for improvement. The board needs to proceed with plans to set up three equal-sized high schools in the county, and it needs to be done as soon as possible. This would allow the students currently in high school to realize the benefits of such a move by having expanded course selections and more challenging courses. Students at the high schools in Allegany County today are receiving more educational opportunities than students in the schools before the consolidation two years ago. If we follow the recommendations in the Facilities Utilization Study, students in Allegany County high schools two years from now will be receiving a better education then than students are today. There have been studies done many times over the years in relation to the county’s school system. The history has been if we agree with the report, we implement. If we disagree with the report or what is suggested is unpopular, we table it and don’t implement. Looking at further consolidation and the benefits it will bring to the students and the citizens of the county won't make the decision any easier. Professionals from outside the county did the Facilities Utilization Study. They were looking at what is best for the students and citizens of the county. They did not consider the politics of such decisions and should not have. Their recommendations are objective and unbiased and should be carried out by the elected board.
 
 A decision to further consolidate our schools at the secondary level is the responsibility of the school board but also requires the undivided support of the county commissioners. This is a decision that must be made now for our current students and future students to insure that all receive the best education possible. We owe it to every student in every part of the county.
 
 Sincerely,
 Dennis Albright
 Mt. Savage, MD
 
 8/19/02