The Roane County Board of Education made the right call Thursday night, voting 4-1 to close Geary Elementary/Middle School and Walton Elementary/Middle School. Students will now be consolidated into Spencer Elementary/Middle, while pre-K classes will move to a new early education center at Roane County High School.

It was a difficult but necessary decision. The board had rejected a similar consolidation proposal about a year ago. Since July, the county school system has been operating under a state of emergency due to severe financial distress.

Before the state Board of Education voted to certify that emergency distinction, member Greg Wooten didn’t mince words: “You guys are bankrupted. You’re absolutely bankrupted.” He was right then — and as the numbers discussed at Thursday night’s m

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