JACKIE HUPP finds herself in the middle of a major school controversy.

Hupp is a member of the Switzerland of Ohio Board of Education. She is one of the three members who voted to close Beallsville High School back in March.

Since that vote for closure, Hupp has done some soul searching. She recently stated she feels that she didn’t have all the pertinent information at the time of the vote. She was hoping to slow Beallsville’s possible closing in order to do more homework on the issue.

The issue was again slated to come to the table Thursday night. A special board meeting was scheduled. Hupp, however, later canceled the session, citing that a fellow board member was not notified in proper time.

Scheduling the special meeting was a positive move. If conducted, the fate of Beallvsille High could have been addressed with Hupp now fully armed with needed information.

Cancelling the session only leads to a more muddled situation. Time is of the essence, indeed.

Summer recess looms in a few weeks. Uncertainty needs to be removed from the equation. That is not the currently the case.

Hopefully, the board calls a special meeting as soon as legally possible, with a vote taken with all board members in attendance.

Should it come up again 3-2 to close Beallsville, so be it. If the vote swings in favor of keeping Beallsville open, so be it.

A final resolution is needed in a situation that has festered much too long. A timely meeting, with all five board members voting is needed.

After the votes are tallied, then the district can move forward in a definitive direction.