Gordon Forgey

School days, school days.

They are back.

Most kids in the county are still fortunate to get their schooling relatively close to home. It has been no mean feat for county districts to maintain small schools in these changing times.

In the past, Whitman County schools have met the challenges and led the way in innovative solutions.

They were the first with cooperative districts where schools and facilities are shared between neighboring communities. Superintendents have been shared. Schools have joined forces to keep athletics and some other programs alive.

Now, many rural communities are not on...