There are a few things that jump out about Wednesday’s meeting of the Twin Valley facilities committee. First and foremost is the analysis that has been undertaken by the committee. Taking a room-by-room approach strikes us a novel and creative. By doing so, it allows the committee to have much more of a say in the design of whatever plans finally take shape. Rather than having an architect or consultant making decisions about the classrooms, both existing and new, the facilities committee will have the background information to know what works and what doesn’t in the current plant. With that information, decisions can be made that reflect both need and cost.

We find the facilities analysis very refreshing, and can’t help wondering if this will help tailor a final product that can be palatable to Wilmington and Whitingham voters. For example, while the analysis still calls for some new construction, it also looks at the possibility of saving the ground floor of the current 1900 portion of the building. By tearing off the top two floors and saving the ground floor, which includes the cafeteria, any new construction can save costs by not including a cafeteria and kitchen, and the related costs.

We also found it interesting that the document specifically mandated that any new construction stay away from flat roofs. In fact, it brought a bit of a chuckle. The reasons are obvious, snow load, leakage, etc. But sometimes the obvious needs to be said.

But we were also left wondering why there were only four people at the meeting. Two were members of the facilities committee, one was the principal of the high school, and the other was a Wilmington representative on the Twin Valley School Board. Certainly people who should be there.

But, where’s the general public? Surely there are plenty of people out there, in both Wilmington and Whitingham, who would have an interest in what’s going on. The students of both communities will be affected by what transpires in the facilities committee. Voters in Wilmington and Whitingham will have to make decisions that will affect their tax rates. Why isn’t there more interest? Why should there only be interest when a vote is looming, and citizens start realizing the impact a school construction project will have on their children’s education, and their tax rates? The time for input is now, in the planning stages, before a final design is presented to the communities.

The school belongs to everyone in Whitingham and Wilmington. Wouldn’t it be nice if more folks realized they could have some say in it? Wouldn’t the folks on the facilities committee like to have their efforts validated, or constructively criticized, by more than two people?

As heartened as we are by the concepts taking shape in the facilities committee, we are equally disheartened by the lack of input from the broader community.