The federal No Child Left Behind law and Indiana's Public Law 221 come with a big "or else." But or else what? What happens if the school system has been failing so long the state needs to step in?

It's a question that needs to be answered before the day finally arrives that the state has to rescue a failed school district.

In central Indiana, all eyes are on Indianapolis Public Schools. In Northwest Indiana, the focus is on the Gary Community School Corp., though there are a few other districts not far behind in terms of poor performance.

The Indiana Department of Education isn't prepared to take over day-to-day management of a school district.

But it's heartening to hear Gov. Mitch Daniels say, in response to a question during a meeting with The Times editorial board last week, that he has staff members looking at the scenario.

"Under federal and state law, if a school system's results are bad enough, long enough, that's the default option, a takeover," Daniels said. "And sometime in the next few years that question may arise, not just in Gary but in other places in the state.

"That's a hard question. I was talking about this yesterday with some people, not about Gary, but the general issue. What would that mean? What do you do if there's a requirement to step in, either because of educational failure or financial failure or both?"

This is a conversation that needs to take place now, before a plan must be cobbled together in a hurry.

This is not to ignore the children who suffer when a school district fails to deliver the level of service it should.

Gary's school district has a graduation rate among male students of less than 40 percent, compared to 72 percent statewide. That's shameful.

That's what this debate is all about -- the consistent failure to educate children properly so they can lead productive lives. Failing schools are harmful to communities as well, driving out wealth as parents who can afford to do so move elsewhere to ensure a better life for their children.

It takes four straight years of failing to show Adequate Yearly Progress on academic standards before state intervention is possible. The federal law has a different mechanism for measuring schools, but the effect is the same. The need for state intervention at some point in some school district is inevitable.

The federal and state education reform laws that establish accountability need to be enforced. Figure out how to do so now so the state rescue team can be assembled for these first pilot projects.

Let's hear the plan those advisers come up with.

Let's hear the plan those advisers come up with.

Meanwhile, let's work on implementing education reforms that put more dollars into the classroom where it belongs. Indiana ranks near the bottom in the portion of the education dollar going to classroom instruction, Daniels says. In failing school districts, especially, better deployment of that money is urgently needed.