There’s a reason why Sanford High School made it to No. 2 on the state’s list of priorities for new school construction ”“ several reasons, actually, including an unsecured entrance and overcrowding, which necessitates the use of 12 portable classrooms.

The facility needs work. The district knows it, the state knows it and the accreditation board knows it. The facility is bad enough for SHS to have been placed on probation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. If accreditation is lost, students who graduate from Sanford will find themselves at a disadvantage when it comes to continuing their education.

So why aren’t the plans moving forward to create a new or renovated school? Simply put, it’s because the state has not properly budgeted to fund the school improvements, and therefore has declined to issue its “protected list” that provides a commitment that the school will be built.

This delay means that Sanford cannot start even the most basic planning, like getting an analysis to decide whether to renovate or pursue new construction for the high school/technical center they have proposed.

When Biddeford High School was facing loss of its accreditation, the city stepped up to fund a $34 million improvement project for the school ”“ without any state aid. Sanford was supposed to have an easier go of it with this promise of state money, and the community is counting on those funds.

The state is doing a huge disservice to our students and our future economy by neglecting to fund this and other school improvement projects throughout the state. As our state representatives have pointed out, this type of facility, which will educate youth to do real jobs in today’s workplaces, is exactly what the governor has promoted. It stands to reason that he should find a way to fund it.

Rep. Jonathan Courtney has said he is “very confident” the money will come through, even though the “protected list” has not been issued as it had been in the past. We’re not as confident that it will happen soon enough, and we hope the state isn’t stringing Sanford, and other school districts on the list, along.

Though Courtney and Sanford’s other representatives in Augusta are undoubtedly fighting for this funding, we do take issue with some of Courtney’s approach. He publicly expressed his unhappiness with the school committee for speaking out about the school funding issue in a letter to area businesses and news media instead of him, but we feel their effort served an important purpose. By spreading the word that they’re still waiting on the state, they let voters know that the LePage administration is not moving forward to bring this educational part of its agenda to fruition. As well, they brought it back into the public spotlight so people can know that their own board is not responsible for the delay.

In this media-saturated world, the committee should not be faulted for trying to improve communication, update the public and advocate for its cause. And Courtney doesn’t need to have a “frank, private” discussion with the committee about this. It is a public issue that none of us want to see discussed behind closed doors.

We’re glad the school committee is keeping it public and keeping the pressure on Augusta so Sanford can get the high school it deserves, among the many other school improvement projects on that list. Those who use the building every day have not let go of that ray of hope the promise of state funding brought into town.

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Today’s editorial was written by Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Kristen by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via e-mail at kristenm@journaltribune.com.