The whole thing is nebulous at this point, partly because it is a work in progress, and partly because too few details have been forthcoming. But the Bennington School District Board's proposal to study a possible "merger" with the Mount Anthony Union District is, it seems, a step in the right direction.

More detail is likely to emerge at Monday's 7 p.m. meeting at Monument Elementary School, when the BSD Board will discuss the issue again. Until then, we will just say that almost any consolidation of the unworkable, and sometimes dysfunctional, Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union/MAU/BSD, ETC., ETC. school system would be an improvement.

It would help to simplify who is in charge of what and make the administration of the schools more efficient.

Seven school districts and boards, plus an SVSU umbrella board, which doesn't have direct authority over the others, is a boondoggle of a system and needs a major overhaul. Since no one from the SVSU stepped forward to change things, the BSD Board has made a bold proposal to merge (or is it take over?) the high school and middle school, both of which are in Bennington and have a majority of students who live in Bennington.

Monday's meeting should be interesting. In the meantime, where do SVSU and MAU board members and officials stand on this idea? They have been mostly silent, in public at least, and unavailable for comment to the newspaper.

We hope the BSD proposal sets off the kind of shakeup - or is it bomb? -

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that is clearly required.