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What a rollercoaster.

The students and staff at Dinosaur Community Charter School must be exhausted. Happy, sad, hopeful, excited, disappointed, rejected. They are probably just looking forward to a resolution.

The fate of the school, and its students, has been in the air for a long time.

On Thursday, school officials may make a decision about the school's future. The state denied its charter, so the students' future lies in the hands of the school board members.

We understand the troubles that vex the Dinosaur school. The school district and state have told Dinosaur school officials they are not in compliance. It's hard for a school that size -- one that's so dependent on parent volunteers -- to meet the stringent standards the state sets.

But the Dinosaur school fills a necessary niche in Moffat County's southwest corner. Students who attend school there say they love it.

Many have attended other schools but think they fit in better in Dinosaur. They get one-on-one attention and a sense of independence and individuality.

Plus, there's something special about Dinosaur. It serves students in kindergarten through seventh grade. This nation was raised on one-room school houses, a heritage Moffat County residents take pride in.

But something's not working now.

Districts throughout Colorado are struggling with this issue. Do they keep small, remote schools open at the risk of isolating those children, or do they bus the students in to bigger schools at the risk of leaving one or two children behind?

There are other options. Students can be bused to schools in Rangely or Vernal, Utah. However, students from those towns already come to Dinosaur for school. Clearly, students and parents must appreciate Dinosaur school's environment.

But largest schools in established districts can provide resources a charter school on its own sometimes can't.

It's a difficult situation, and the Moffat County School Board has a difficult decision to make Thursday.

We understand there are benefits for students and drawbacks for the district of keeping the school open. We hope the board weighs the consequences of its decision and fully understands the effects it will have on the students and community.

We hope the school, and everyone involved with it, can find a resolution Thursday. The board has a decision to make -- for better or for worse.

We just hope the board can reach a decision that's fair to everyone involved, and reach a conclusion for Dinosaur school that's been hanging in the balance for years.