A little patience is today's lesson

Frontiersman Editorial Board

This year an alternative school opened in Big Lake. The school serves at-risk students from that area, and greatly reduces the burden on Burchell High School in Wasilla. The students who attend these schools are often exercising their last chance to get an education. They've fallen out of the traditional system, and they're making an honest attempt to finish their education.

The Big Lake school is temporarily housed at the Faith Bible Fellowship. Most schools have a buffer zone between them and neighborhood homes, but the temporary location for the alternative school is nestled right in amongst neighboring homes -- meaning students can step off the school grounds and essentially right onto a neighbor's driveway.

While some of those neighbors applauded the district for reaching out to these students in need, they also expressed concern about the cozy arrangement between the school and their homes. This seems like a great opportunity for patience and cooperation. The district is considering options for a permanent location for the school, and Chief School Administrator Bob Doyle said he wants to make that a priority, since some people are uncomfortable with the current arrangement.

The students who are benefiting from the alternative school live in the Big Lake area, and the district is giving them a tremendous opportunity to complete educational careers that were otherwise in jeopardy. The end result of the efforts made by the students and the teachers and administrators who work with them will be a gift to the entire community. It will be a group of adults who are better able to contribute to their communities.

The nervous neighbors might do well to remember that these students are already their neighbors, and they could be hanging around the neighborhood doing a lot worse things than seeking an education. If the school makes an honest effort to keep the students off private property, local homeowners can surely endure the inconvenience for a little longer.

Ultimately, this effort needs to be made, and the school is going to be in somebody's neighborhood. The students may not be 'traditional,' but their goals certainly are.

Educating our children -- all of them -- is a community effort, and it's one of the most important things we do together. The school district is doing the right thing to try to help these young people, and the citizens of Big Lake are right to applaud that effort.