Our opinion: Time has come to focus on needs of all schools

Carson City School Superintendent Richard Stokes announced yesterday that Fremont Elementary School will retain its popular year-round schedule, hopefully bringing at least temporary relief to the parents and teachers who so vocally protested its proposed change to a traditional schedule.

The discussion of Fremont's future has dominated school board meetings and budget workshops. It took a lot of the attention away from issues that will affect a majority of the district's children, including trimming school bus service and staff throughout the district.

"I'm really anxious for us to put this part of our experience behind us so we can move forward," Stokes told the Nevada Appeal. "I'm anxious to roll up our sleeves and try to figure this thing out."

Stokes admitted that the process has been a learning experience during his first year as superintendent.

"I've learned a lot about human dynamics," he said. "It's important for us now to come together and look at the needs of the community as a whole."

Those needs include finalizing plans to cut up to $7.2 million from the budget while still maintaining a quality environment for learning. It will be a difficult task that will make almost everyone involved unhappy. But time is short to work out the details, and everyone must approach the task in the spirit of collaboration and shared sacrifice.

That so much attention was diverted to what in the end was a disruption for one school showed that the superintendent and the board let things get out of hand. The last board meeting, in which members, confused over procedure, voted to approve both schedules drew justifiable outrage from the public.

Now it's time to work together, with no shouting, accusations, recriminations or conspiracy theorizing. It's what's best for the children.