Here in Warren County, we’re having contentious, difficult discussions nearly every year about how to live within our education budget.

Those talks aren’t easy, but they are necessary.

That’s why it’s disappointing to hear Gov. Josh Shapiro take the easy way out when asked about the state’s role in school consolidation talks.

“I don’t believe in dictating to school districts that they need to merge or push them to do that,” Shapiro said. “I do believe in being there as a support system if the school district makes that decision.”

Shapiro was taking a victory lap at a Bucks County school when he made his comments. The governor wanted to talk about the $1.1 billion in additional education funding included in this year’s state budget rather than consolidations that are needed because many areas of the state are hemorrhaging population. But imagine how much further that $1.1 billion would go if it wasn’t being used to prop up schools that really should be closed due to age, lack of attendance or, frankly, lack of course offerings. Imagine how much more a school district could do with a few hundred extra thousand dollars a year if the money isn’t spread across more buildings than necessary.

The governor isn’t alone in avoiding the topic of consolidation. It’s common among governors or state legislators across the country who don’t want to upset voters by forcing consolidations. It’s easier to say that the consolidation choice is up to local residents, though the state supports whichever decision local residents make. It’s a common enough talking point that we wonder if it’s the password to enter the room when governors’ associations hold meetings.

But real leadership is pushing for hard talks, and the state is in position to provide real leadership on a tough local issue because it provides such a large percentage of most school districts’ operating budgets. State officials hold all the face cards in the poker game that is school consolidations. The problem is they play the game as if they have a pair of twos.