The Buchanan County Board of Supervisors understandably wants to save the Appalachian School of Law, a standalone law school in Grundy, rather than see it close or merge with Roanoke College.
The county is in the process of coming up with some money, although it’s unclear whether the amounts talked about ($3.4 million to $6 million) are sufficient and whether the county can afford that. One supervisor, Roger Rife, has warned that these expenditures could lead to a tax increase in one of the poorest counties in the state.
It’s also unclear whether Buchanan officials fully understand that Appalachian’s economic struggles are more than a temporary fiscal challenge — they are part of broader trends across higher education. Appalachian’s essential problem is that it doesn’t have enough students. It has 184. It needs 300. Unfortunately, law school enrollment nationwide is declining — part of the so-called “enrollment cliff” brought on by lower birth rates. Does Buchanan County have a way to fix that? For that matter, does Roanoke College? Before either puts money into the school, both may want to have a realistic plan other than simply hope…