This evening, the board of directors of the Butler School District will vote on a school consolidation plan. Most parents, teachers and community members agree — we are tired and ready for the debate to end. It has fractured our community and left our children and those who educate them in a painful state of uncertainty.

When they attend school, it’s the name of their teacher, the friends who will be with them, the activities available, the buses they ride that matter most to our children.

A year feels like a lifetime to a child, and for a year we have left our children’s questions unanswered. It is time for answers.

I believe the administration and teaching staff of the district have worked diligently over the past few months to have those questions ready to be answered. Now, they just need a decision to be made.

The passionate debate over the last year has caused dissension among neighbors and friends. If the board votes yes, it will be more important than ever to set aside our differences and help our children work through the unavoidable challenges that any major change brings.

It is also time to stop the rumors. Throughout this long process, the dissemination of misinformation and false rumors has been rampant and the most negative impact has been felt by the students and teachers caught in the middle. The most recent rumor involves a lawsuit allegedly being filed by a board member and a few parents to delay or stop consolidation.

It has filtered down to the students and has reignited fears that no answers are forthcoming. These rumors are destructive. And if, for any reason, it is not a rumor, but a reality, I can only hope that those considering the lawsuit consider the emotional toll on the children, the negative financial impact on the district and the hours of administration and staff time spent defending a meritless lawsuit instead of educating our children.

This controversy has awakened our community to the challenges facing public education. It has caused many who have been quiet to ask questions, to offer help and to become involved. This is the good that comes from conflict.

If we redirect this passion and intellect into finding solutions to some of the problems that beleaguer public education, might that not be a much better use of our time than fighting each other?

It’s time to look forward.