The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Whether an accurate reflection or not, a community is often judged based on its school system. For a relocating couple with children, the quality of the school district in which a house is located will often be as much a deciding factor in buying a home as the size of the living room. Entire websites are devoted to ranking school districts by test scores, student/teacher ratios, ethnic makeup and more.

A positive accomplishment reflects well on us all. Last week, as reported on Page 1, Waitsburg Kindergarten teacher Pamela Nolan-Beasley received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. And - even though Pam did the work - we all share in the pride. Those of us with kids might find ourselves saying, "That's where my kid goes to school," while those without may an- nounce proudly, "She teaches in our town".

Similarly, negative events at the schools reflect poorly on the town as a whole. Recent media attention regarding the bomb threat and the swastika burned in the grass at Dayton High School as well as the alleged sexual assault at Waitsburg High, leave us all hanging our heads.

In recent weeks, both Dayton and Waitsburg school districts have been actively soliciting input from their com- munity members as they struggle to prioritize spending while addressing a myriad of needs (and wants). From what we've seen, administrators have made extensive efforts to organize and present information to provide the public with enough background that they could offer informed input. In nearly every instance, attendance at these meetings has been sparse, to say the least. The majority of those who do attend are school staff and board members - already the most informed. The rest of us might be surprised at what we'd learn if we did make the effort to show up.

It can be easy to criticize adherence to Common Core standards or specific spending choices until you learn that the local district has no say in federal requirements or that a program you question is funded entirely through grant money. Our observation is that both school administrations welcome your questions, concerns and suggestions. That is not the case everywhere, and our administrators are to be commended for their efforts.

Whether you currently have children in the system or not, you are affected by your local schools as well as the students they graduate. Here at The Times, some of us have no kids in school, others have several kids in school. And we even have a homeschooling parent. Each of us likely has different pri- orities and concerns when it comes to the school system. We aren't presuming to suggest to readers how to vote or what to support (at least not yet). We are, however, urging you to step up, become informed and take part in the discussion.