With the awarding on Monday of contracts for a new middle school, we would hope Central Cambria taxpayers would recognize this move as the official end to a controversial time in the district’s history.
We would hope the two sides involved in an at-times overly heated battle – one that often pitted neighbor against neighbor and family member against family member – would be ready to mend fences and focus as one on addressing other issues – No. 1, of course, being the education of the students.
Perhaps the two sides can even relish in the fact that the price tag for the new school came in nearly $4 million under what was expected. And the fact that, at least initially, the project will not increase taxes.
The decision to build the school was not a hasty one; the debate languished for years.
Everyone who wanted had a say, and the best part was that there were lots of studies, input and debate.
That’s healthy.
What wasn’t was the over-the-top animosity, name-calling and even hatred that resulted over the issue. Some people, in fact, acted very badly.
It even became the sole issue for voting for or against candidates for the school board.
In the end, was the right decision made?
It depends with whom you’re talking.
And that’s OK as long as everyone realizes that the democratic process prevailed and it’s time to accept the decision and to move on.
What the Central Cambria community also learned was that it has a lot of people willing to serve as leaders. And it has a lot of good people with good ideas and expertise.
There is no reason to believe that an already top-notch school district won’t be even better in the future.
