The Moffat County School District Board of Education met Monday and the board acted professional, collaborative and thoughtful in all that was discussed.

It’s clear the new board wants to make the best decisions for the district’s children. Their actions help open a new door of trust from the community.

Though many conversations were lengthy and required patience from the audience, each board member thoughtfully listened to each other and questioned items that were confusing.

It’s better to pose questions when you’re confused rather than not asking at all. Our community has a lot of great teachers who do wonderful work with their students. They deserve an informed school board, so we’re proud of the board for being so thoughtful and inquisitive.

The big topic of discussion at Monday’s meeting revolved around how the board will work on the 2016-17 budget, and though there were some popular and unpopular ideas, each board member worked to wrap their heads around what’s next financially for Moffat County School District.

Some board members are in favor of a mill levy and some aren’t, but they certainly didn’t fight about it. Instead, they outlined reasons for support or denial of asking voters for money.

They then came to the conclusion they have two budgets to work on — one with a mill levy increase and one without. If our community were to ever support putting the mill levy question on the ballot, voters need a clear understanding of the district’s finances.

It’s understandable most teachers support a mill levy override, because they feel the lack of solid funds in the classroom on a daily basis. Yet, we can’t ignore that a large chunk of the community is not sold on the idea.

However, if the board continues to productively collaborate the way it did at Monday’s meeting, then perhaps the community will get what they want from the elected board members.

We’d like to encourage the board to continue on this path. Stay positive and optimistic. Work through issues or disagreements in a productive manner. Ask the tough questions. The teachers, administration and community appreciate your collaborations.

Kudos to you.