On Aug. 1, registered voters in the USD 112 Central Plains school district will have the opportunity to vote. The much-anticipated vote is a simple yes/no question, yet these weeks leading up to the election have been anything but simple.

It’s easy to become passionate and emotional when it comes to our children’s education. It’s our jobs as parents and guardians to advocate strongly for our children and their future. We need to be their voice.

We also need to be civil, respectful and compassionate.

Inevitably, there are hitches during any election. Please remember to extend grace to poll workers. They are working hard to run the election as smoothly as possible.

After the polls close, there will be an answer to the question: “Shall the following be adopted? Shall USD 112 be disorganized pursuant to K.S.A. 72-635 to pursue attachment to another school district or organization of the schools therein in anyway provided by law?”

Some of our readers will like the answer; others will not.

We encourage everyone to pause and take a breath before responding. Our children are watching and taking cues from us. Are we good winners? Good losers? Are we winning with grace? Accepting defeat with dignity? How we react is a lesson our children will not forget.

Let’s be sure to engage in our civic duty, vote and gracefully accept the results of the election and move forward. Karen Bonar Publisher