As we've noted in this space before, a major priority for the local school boards that had their budget proposals defeated in the spring should be to repair and rebuild relationships with the community.

And that goal is especially crucial for the Auburn Enlarged City School District, the only local district that had its budget defeated twice, forcing the adoption of a contingency budget for the 2008-2009 school year.

As with any relationship, a big key is communication. So it was encouraging to see new Auburn board President Charlie Cator pledge to improve communication between the board and the community.

Cator announced plans for a series of “brown bag” sessions beyond regular school board meetings in which the public could establish a dialogue with the board on specific issues. That's a great concept, but obviously cannot be the only change Cator makes.

A more systematic change needs to occur with the board's attitude toward people who express concern about district spending and taxes, whether they express that concern in public or in the voting booth.

It's time for board members to stop portraying people who raise concerns as anti-education or misinformed, or both.

Quite a few people have noted how district voters twice rejected the budget proposal even though no one from the public expressed concerns at public hearings prior to the votes.

To us, that's a clear sign of a giant disconnect.

Residents may have felt the only place from which they would actually be taken seriously by the board was the voting booth.

Effective communication means not only conveying timely and accurate information to the public, but also being willing to listen and act on suggestions that the public gives back.