Kudos to Dan Dorman and the Minnesota House of Representatives’ Capital Investment Committee. The bonding bill coming out of the committee included $5 million in competitive grant money for the school in Wells.

That money, however, is just the start. United South Central seeks $25 million in matching funds for the school in Wells and had requested $5 million from the state.

The issue over the schools in United South Central is not an easy one. Many of the opponents to referendums for school bond issues in the past feel the debt would be too much for taxpayers to pay off. Proponents point to the dismal shape of the school in Wells and say the situation is dire. The issue is divided in another way because some think the district should merely repair the school in Wells and others think the district needs a new building altogether.

That’s just a nutshell, but clearly, it’s a tough issue. On top of it all, the USC students perform well on tests. The district’s faculty and the children’s parents are doing a good job.

This is how we see it:

Look at Lake Mills, Iowa. It’s a small town with a good industrial base. The people have done a good job of attracting employers and taking care of education, too. Little by little, without great fanfare, Lake Mills is teaching other small towns how it’s done.

We think the same can happen for Wells, and there are fine people there who working for that goal.

Now Lake Mills kept its old school and made it useful. But old schools require different needs. Some can’t be saved. The school in Wells is one of those that need a replacement. In this case, it’s time to start over. Build a new one and build it to last. A new school will save money in the long run.

The people who favor a new school should keep working toward their goal, in spite of the odds. Some of the debt for the school hopefully can be countered by economic growth that springs from having a new school, if the city markets itself proficiently when that day comes.