County residents are probably tired of reading headlines like the one on today’s editorial.

The problem is those headlines aren’t going away, yet as a county we are incredibly resistant to change. It was about a year ago that the topic of further school consolidations swept new Warren County School District board members into office in an attempt to stave off the school district’s decision to send students from Sheffield to Warren for parts of every day.

It was a hard decision, but community opposition to options that would have likely saved more money were loudly opposed. Here we are, nine months later, and Jim Grosch, Warren County School District business director, is sounding the same alarm he’s been sounding for years – bankruptcy is looming.

Are we ready to listen? Are we ready to act?

We weren’t ready at this time last year, and the numbers don’t look any better now than they did then. If spending and revenues remain the same, the Warren County School District will be out of money sometime during the 2026-27 school year. The 2024-25 budget being discussed now has a structural deficit of about $6 million. That deficit may narrow some if the state approves additional school aid to the district, but that’s akin to putting a band aid on a chainsaw wound. We will be back in this same position next year, talking about how much closer the district is to bankruptcy.

About 88% of the district’s $94 million budget is made up of salaries and benefits – which means bringing the district back into financial balance will have to mean large-scale cuts of teachers, staff and administration. It will likely mean school closures. It will mean fewer programs.

The alarm is sounding. Will we listen? More importantly, will we act?