The jury is still out on whether faculty cuts, program reductions and other austerity measures by the Warren County School Board will ultimately hurt academic performance.
There is a lag time involved in such measurements because of standardized test scheduling and the slow progression of students through the system.
However, if you gauge the performance in scholastic sports programs by the success of teams and individual athletes, then the the board's tinkering with athletic funding hasn't hurt those programs at all.
Warren County's high school athletes are finishing up a stellar year, with teams from every high school enjoying success at the district level and some teams and athletes moving beyond district competition to state-wide contests.
In the case of Warren Area High School, the spring sports season has been among the most successful in recent memory, with sterling performances at the District 10 level and several teams and individuals advancing to test their performance against the best in the state.
We salute these student athletes for their dedication and hard work. We also salute those adults who have poured their own dedication and hard work into these young people. From tennis to softball, from track and field to baseball, these young people are making memories that will never fade and learning that whether they end up on a winners platform or just somewhere down in the stats, commitment to a goal is both commendable and personally satisfying whether the goal is met or missed.