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I do not think that personal attacks serve any purpose in this very important discussion, but feel compelled to respond to Hepdog, Michael2012, and John Stark, in order of comments as follows:

Hepdog: For the record, I do believe we need to look at changing the paradigm of our school services but in a way that maximizes educational benefits to the children. I disagree that consolidating high schools is the best solution for students, the community and the future of both.

Michael2012: I think there are reasonable solutions to these issues that do not require keeping all of the schools open—I think this specific plan is flawed. My concern is for the quality of education for students at a critical point in their life—and I do not think this plan will result in improving (or even maintaining the current level of educational services) The transitions, changes, and goals of this proposed consolidation will, I believe, negatively affect the community and schools. This is just one study that supports that conclusion: http://www.edb.utexas.edu/hsns/HSNSbrief1.pdf. Mega schools do not work, do not produce good outcomes, and they lead to community decline.

JohnStark: I have lived in India, New York, Texas, Washington DC, and New Jersey, I did not arrive in Rhode Island until my education was complete. I am the product of public education and know first-hand how important it is. And, I believe that strong public education is the foundation of a strong community. This is a real opportunity for the entire community to come together to build something that benefits all of us. But, please, let’s do it right.