Lost in the discussion over closing a pair of Garrett County elementary schools ..

is further evidence that the leaders in Garrett County, and in turn local policy, continue to favor tourism over families. See this week's story from the Times-News and look no further than the facts on student enrollment for the evidence.

"Enrollment in Garrett County has declined by around 10 percent over the last decade and is expected to decline another 10 percent by 2019, data shows."

Tourism, up; local families, down.

Don't forget to check back to Dan's Deep Creek Blog for your future updates on Deep Creek real estate.