If there was one key message from Monday’s Slippery Rock School Board meeting, it was that the board is facing major decisions regarding improving district schools.

An underlying message, which board members might not have considered, is that it isn’t too early to get the public involved. In fact, it would be a mistake to keep the public out of the decision-making exercise, even at this early stage.

It probably already is time to form a citizens committee to act as a liaison between the board and district taxpayers — to keep taxpayers informed and help avoid misunderstanding.

Construction and renovation projects have bogged down some districts for years because of discord that was avoidable.

The Slippery Rock board could avoid that scenario if it handles things correctly from the start, especially given the multimillion-dollar projected costs of the work being discussed.

Part of that handling-correctly scenario is keeping the board from splitting into deeply divided factions. All board members should listen to and evaluate the opinions of other members and the district’s administrative staff before taking a position about what direction the district should move — or even whether the district should tackle, at this time, any of the ideas put forth.

Amid that discussion must be the significant looming taxpayer obligations stemming from the 2001 state pension increases, as well as how teacher contract negotiations over the next decade or so might impact the district’s financial picture and its ability to move ahead with construction/renovation projects.

Fortunately, Slippery Rock is a growing area, albeit not to the extent of areas such as Cranberry and Adams townships in the southern part of the county. That growth will provide some flexibility for Slippery Rock board members in their decision making, but it won’t markedly make easier the task that lies ahead for the board — assuming it rejects the do-nothing option.

For now, it is the high school that, by far, poses the greatest challenge for the board, from both the cost and options standpoints.

Representatives of HHSDR Architects of Sharon who made a presentation to the board Monday provided four high school renovation proposals that range in cost from $23.8 million to $38.7 million.

The architects also presented projected construction/renova-tion costs for other district facilities as follows:

Har-Mer Elementary School, $279,000; Moraine Elementary, $8.1 million; Slippery Rock Elementary, $2.7 million; middle school, $873,000; and high school football stadium, $4.5 million.

One of the architects on Monday suggested that the board draw up an implementation plan before voting. That listing of priorities needs to be addressed with the taxpayers, along with a review of the possible consequences — both structural and financial — if the district opts for too conservative of an approach to what’s needed. The district cannot pursue the entire package all at once, because of the costs. That was confirmed by the architects.

The immediate emphasis must be on setting up a process for giving adequate consideration to all elements of what the architects presented.

But setting up a line of communication with district taxpayers, no matter how that is accomplished, is an important early step to promote understanding and public support.