Consolidation in Da' Region

[Nutsy]

This has been a topic of conversation at my favorite watering hole... any candidates off the top of your head for the record? I have a few and this consolidation is a real possibility in the near future.


Nut

[BallinFreak]

It has long been talked about RF and Lake Station consolidating. It has always made sense in my mind, but I would also hate to lose that rivalry.

[Nutsy]

It has long been talked about RF and Lake Station consolidating. It has always made sense in my mind, but I would also hate to lose that rivalry.

That's one that keeps coming up as well as Calumet and Gary Westside.


Nut

[BallinFreak]

Calumet and West side could be another one. I wouldnt think they would be as natural a fit as RF and LS, but it could work. Would make sense with the demographics of the area.

Thinking through the region I am not really coming up with any other options? Am I missing any?

[scarab527]

They tried to shutter RF about 10 years ago and the residents of New Chicago were not too happy and saved the school. But I will say I've always found it silly that there's two high schools for essentially Lake Station. Seems like 1 would be more than enough.

I'd be shocked if Calumet and West Side consolidated. I thought one of the main points of Lake Ridge schools was that they weren't Gary School Corp. Would think Calumet parents wouldn't be too keen on that. And the West Side parents and people of Gary would probably feel similarly since its the last remaining of the public high schools in the city.

Don't really see the need to consolidate any schools outside of potentially RF/LS. The Hammond consolidation has had its positives and negatives, but the jury is still out. I drove by Gavit the other day and it was sad to see the school just sitting there to rot. Consolidating schools is a huge undertaking and there's lots of ways it can be screwed up. Don't really think it should be talked about until its a last resort like with what we're seeing with the South Bend schools.

[BallinFreak]

Yeah people came out of the wood work to stop the RF and LS thing. That will always be a problem. And honestly probably the biggest problem for them is space and buildings. Neither school is big enough to hold both combined. Can they find and afford new buildings and all that would come with consolidating? Prob not. So in reality unless it is a last resort it won't happen.

I am not really familiar with the South Bend area. What is going on over there?

[scarab527]

Yeah people came out of the wood work to stop the RF and LS thing. That will always be a problem. And honestly probably the biggest problem for them is space and buildings. Neither school is big enough to hold both combined. Can they find and afford new buildings and all that would come with consolidating? Prob not. So in reality unless it is a last resort it won't happen.

I am not really familiar with the South Bend area. What is going on over there?

Years of mismanagement and incompetence in the school board combined with a struggling city leading to a crisis in South Bend School Corp. Clay is closing and there's potential of more consolidation in the near future.

[BallinFreak]

That is sad. So Clay will be no more. Assuming that is going to greatly impact the numbers for all the other SB Schools. What will that leave Adams, Riley and Washington?