Daily Herald editorial

It is good to know that plans for a new fifth-and sixth-grade school building have generated so much interest among district staff and the public that school officials are scrambling to figure out how to include all those voices in the planning process. As the saying goes, it’s a nice problem to have.

That the district’s first new school building in 60 years is a topic of intense interest comes as a welcome development. Any time a community commits to spending tens of millions of dollars on a public space, the project’s long-term value and acceptance will certainly be enhanced if plans take into account as many ideas as possible. The district has already worked hard to include as many as possible in the project’s preliminary stages. We’re sure there will be a way to hear from even more.

Timelines, requirements and budget for the school are tight, so it is not reasonable to expect that the school project can at this stage be newly envisioned. Still, district leaders are wise to hear a range of opinions, because there’s no way to know where the brilliant idea will come from.