Years ago, on the rare occasion when someone, anyone, spoke of consolidating the Valdosta and Lowndes County school systems, the discussion was conducted in a whisper, with usually the veiled implication that such talk was to go no further.

Whether it was concerns about football traditions, race, or differing academic programs, a discussion on consolidating the school systems was not entered lightly.

Most local politicians, who wanted to attain or retain elected office, avoided any mention of school consolidation on or off the record.

Bring up the subject of consolidation amidst the wrong group of people at the wrong place, at the wrong time, which was almost anywhere in the city or county not too many years ago, and the offender could expect to at least be shushed, shouted down, potentially threatened, and possibly punched.

While there are still two school systems for Valdosta and Lowndes County, things have changed.

From 6:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce hosts a public meeting at the James H. Rainwater Conference Center on the subject of school consolidation.

The public meeting follows the recent release of the chamber’s report on the economic impact of consolidating the school systems. Through a survey of hundreds of local chamber members and business people, 81 percent chose a consolidated school system.

For the past, few years, The Valdosta Daily Times editorial board has listed school consolidation as one of our editorial objectives. It is the only objective that has made it on each list, year after year. While, ultimately, we would like to see the city and county schools consolidated, we have repeatedly placed it on our lists of objectives hoping it would, at least, remain a point of public discussion.

The public meeting will allow area residents to speak their minds on school consolidation. There will likely be those who are for consolidation and those who are against it. But one thing is for certain, school consolidation will be what everyone’s talking about.