Delphi Community School Corporation Board of Trustees voted 5-2 Monday night in favor of turning Camden Elementary School into an Early Childhood Center (ECC) for half and full-day kindergarten, special education, readiness, head start and pre-school students. Hillcrest Elementary will house students in first through fifth grades. The change will be in effect for the 2007-2008 school year.

Board president Robert Resler cited many advantages for making the change, including improved transportation rates between the elementary schools, equalized special education, better use of resources, improved curriculum, equalized class sizes, and the addition of personal learning communities and other special programs.

The Town of Camden and school patrons there are proud, and rightly so, of their school and the educational opportunities the smaller environment there provides to students.

But looking at the big picture - what's best for all students in the Delphi Community corporation, it's hard to argue with the rationale used to make the decision for the change. All students should have the same, equal opportunities.

With so many studies pointing to early childhood education as a key to long-term student success, the new ECC should give the DCSC a jump start on addressing learning problems of at-risk students. Improved academic achievement will undoubtedly be the result.

We applaud the Delphi school board for their foresight and expediency in making a tough decision.