Thumbs up to the Regional School Unit 21 Board of Directors for their decision to retain the previously approved school calendar for 2010-11, which sets the first student days in late August. Though the board was right to weigh the valid concerns of seasonal business owners who would like to keep their teen employees a bit longer, education must remain the priority.

A few school days before the Labor Day break gives students and teachers a chance to acclimate themselves so they can dig into their lessons immediately after the holiday. If those days are pushed to the end of June, particularly in a year with multiple snow days, they are much less effective since everyone has their sights set on summer vacation.

Thumbs down to the Regional School Unit 21 Board of Directors for voting to allow some Arundel students to attend the Middle School of the Kennebunks next year, while the town’s contract with Thornton Academy Middle School is still in effect. It is understandable that the board decided to buy out the contract, ending it after the 2010-11 school year, in an effort to keep students within the newly consolidated district. However, there is no need to breach the contract during its final year by allowing some students to opt out of TAMS. This decision is leading toward costly legal wrangling ”“ money that could have been better spent on students and infrastructure. It’s also pushing some Arundel parents toward an effort to pull out of the RSU.

Thumbs up to the organizers of the Spirit in America Hot Air Balloon Festival, the first of its kind to be held in Old Orchard Beach, this past weekend. Local economic development group OOB365 has been putting a lot of effort into promoting the downtown, both off-season and during the busy summer months, and have come a long way with revitalizing the area.

Thumbs up to the volunteers who had the perseverance to keep the La Kermesse Franco-Americaine festival running this year despite several setbacks, including loss of venue and criminal charges against the organization’s president. Though smaller this year, the Biddeford festival was still a success, focusing on the French-Canadian culture that helped build the twin cities.

Thumbs down to Wells voters who rejected an increase of $133,000 in funding for town employees, resulting in a hiring freeze and seven vacant positions. No one spoke up during the budget process on the issue of salaries, so officials were surprised at the knee-jerk reaction residents had to the increase. Though it’s hard to approve a raise for others when your own hours or entire job is being cut, voters must realize that pay increases are contractually obligated and that they will be impacted by refusing to fund the positions of code enforcement officer, police officer and highway and information technology personnel, lifeguards and positions for beach cleanup and the train station. Though this may force administration to economize, it’s not the proper way to go about it.

— Thumbnails is a Monday feature of the Journal Tribune’s opinion pages. If you would like to respond, please write the Reader’s Forum via e-mail at jtcommunity@journaltribune.com or by dropping your letter off at our Biddeford or Sanford offices.