One of the common refrains we’ve heard over the past few years from the public when it comes to school closures in Warren County is what the public views as a bloated Warren County School District administration.

We would point out, first, that the matter is actually separate from the rationale behind school closures. Reducing administrators doesn’t free up enough cash to pay for the education our students deserve.

Fewer cars in the administration building parking lot each day doesn’t change the teacher shortage that the district finds itself facing nor would it mean the district finds itself flush with cash all of a sudden.

This isn’t an either-or situation. Both can happen at the same time.

That said, the school board finds itself asking the community to consider closing two school buildings – a necessary step, in our opinion, even though it comes with the pain of ending longstanding traditions and the benefits to a community that a school can provide. We’re looking at serious changes to the way we provide education in Warren County. We should also be looking at serious ways we administer education in Warren County.

Now is the time to rightsize everything about education in our county. We need to be justifying every course that is taught in the new course lineup being discussed if Sheffield and Youngsville high schools are closed.

At the same time we need to justify every administrator on staff at this point. What positions are required by law? What positions had a purpose at one time that may not be necessary as we move into a new era of education in Warren County?

We’ve reasoned that one reason to keep Eisenhower High School open is that every dollar wasted paying off QZAB bonds is a dollar not spent paying a teacher to teach a class. The same logic applies to the central administration building.