The idea of combining Wilmington and Whitingham elementary schools has resurfaced this week, and initial reactions have been positive. We here at the newspaper office have been abuzz about it, and in general we like the concept.

We especially think moving the high school to Whitingham makes a lot sense, given the relatively reasonable amount of renovation and construction it would take to make over the current building.

As far as merging elementary grades at Deerfield Valley Elementary School is concerned, we like the merger concept. It makes sense for the two towns, given the current economic and student population realities.

However, we would like to offer another idea for consideration. What about combining the elementary schools at the current Twin Valley High School building?

Sure, we know there are issues with the high school building, particularly the “1900” section. That would have be removed, no question about it.

But consider the positives. First and foremost is the location. It’s in the heart of Wilmington, which makes it within walking distance for families who live in the village. That helps to reduce sprawl, and traffic. It’s also that much closer to Whitingham, which could salve some legitimate concerns about time spent on buses for young elementary students.

Then there’s the physical plant. Once the 1900 section is removed from the high school, there would still be plenty of space left for the elementary grades. Plus, there would be a bigger and better gym, more athletic fields, access to Buzzy Towne Park, and other positives.

Yes, there would still be renovations required and a new cafeteria needed. But the DVES plans call for all of those things anyway. Why not do them in a more central location?

Finally, what to do with the leftover building? In any scenario, the town of Wilmington will be left with one empty building.

In our opinion, the DVES building and site may be a more desirable location for something other than a school. One idea could be to deed the DVES building to the Tri-town Economic Development Committee. That group, made up of the towns of Wilmington, Dover, and to a lesser degree Whitingham, could then redevelop the DVES site. Here are some ideas for the site: performing arts center, business incubator, community center, or a recreation center. All of them could be done under the umbrella of economic development, which would open up an entirely different set of opportunities to attract grant money or private investment. In addition, the location, while farther away from Whitingham, would be more central to the economic base of the valley, Dover and Wilmington.

We realize this idea will stun some of the folks who have been working long and hard to find solutions to the school facilities issue in Wilmington. We don’t offer this idea to undermine the work already done. We respect all of the efforts that have gone into the process so far.

But, chances are this flip-flop idea would have come up at some point anyway. So we feel it is important to get the concept out for public discussion. If there are compelling reasons why moving the elementary school to the current high school won’t work, so be it. We’ll certainly respect the final decision. But the idea needs vetting. Let the discussion begin.