Thank you to the voters in the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva School District. You did the right thing for your communities by passing an operating levy.

Some might have voted against the referendum levy on Tuesday with the case of tough times. But tougher times could come to the local economy in the NRHEG district should the quality of the schools there wane. Having a good school district makes parents glad to dwell in or near the district. It also makes the place attractive to people who move there to work — something that matters quite a bit to companies trying to attract talent.

In these tight economic times, the goal of communities, companies, governments and nonprofits should not be to wither, like a tree in winter. That leaves them vulnerable and perhaps lacking vital tasks when the recovery comes. Their goal should be doing their level best to be efficient and good shape. Think of how a tree grows well after a trimming of useless branches.

That way, as the economy grows again, they are poised to take advantage of new opportunities.

And between the NRHEG reconfiguration of classes and the passage of the referendum, it seems the district — from voters to elected officials — understands this.

(By the way, if you are looking for the stories of strife when a community starves its schools, check out the ups and downs of Grove City, Ohio.)