OUR VIEW: Congrats to EVHS, CCHS graduates. Best of luck!

This weekend wraps up another first for Culpeper, as the county celebrates the graduation of senior classes from two high schools.

No longer a one-horse town, this community has experienced highs and lows associated with the opening of Eastern View. Over the past year, we’ve seen the good and bad, we’ve felt the growing pains and we’ve cheered on students at both schools as they went their separate ways.

Mixed in with the excitement, it’s been a tough year in many regards, but that was to be expected. Any time a new school opens and a community is divided — geographically and psychologically — things will never be the same. It will take time to come to grips with the new reality of two high schools. But we know that a bright future is ahead.

To all of the grads at EVHS and CCHS, we say: Go get ’em. You should be honored to be considered the “first” classes in your schools’ different, yet connected, journies.

As for life after today, you’re entering college and the work force in a difficult economic time; but if you try your hardest and put your mind to it, you will succeed.

Go Cyclones and Blue Devils!

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UGH: On another education-related note, once again the Culpeper County School Board has voted to keep the general public out of an important process.

A few months ago, the board did not allow for superintendent candidates to have a meet-and-greet time with the community at large. Now, the board has decided not to allow public comments before it appoints a member to fill Jimmy Lee’s vacant seat.

Sure, the position will be a very temporary one, as a special election will be held in November. But that doesn’t mean the public shouldn’t have a say before then.

Board member Leanne Jenkins was right when she said, “Historically speaking, in our county, people that are appointed to the board to fill out someone else’s term are very often elected to fill that seat.”

We applaud Jenkins and Elizabeth Hutchins for voting in opposition to another bad idea.