Adams County Attorney Marion Smith makes a valid point. In defending the supervisors’ decision to deed Thompson School to the AJFC Community Action Agency, the attorney points out what he calls important gains for the county in the move. Those include:

— An expense savings, thanks to the shifting of the burden for repairs and maintenance on the building from the county to AJFC.

— An educational program for more than 500 children, ages newborn to 4 years old, who might otherwise lose the benefits of both the early intervention and daycare programs if the federally subsidized AJFC lost its license to operate a Head Start.

— And, because the Head Start can now control its destiny by taking ownership of building repairs, a reassurance that the program which provides some 100 jobs in Adams County will continue.

The biggest benefit, though, may well be the resolution to an ongoing problem. For several years now, the Thompson School has been in disrepair — suffering from continual roof leaks and structural problems. Emotional attachments aside, the building desperately needs an investment of money to renovate and repair it.

Now, the AJFC has no excuse for not providing those much-needed repairs. More important, the AJFC has promised to deed over parts of the building — including the gym, cafeteria and other meeting spaces — to a Thompson alumni organization which is seeking non-profit status and the funds to renovate those public areas of the school.

It could be the ultimate win-win — the county administration rids itself of an expensive building in desperate need of repairs, while the AJFC gets the opportunity to take ownership of its facility. Along with that, Thompson alumni can take ownership of important areas of the school, too, guaranteeing public access to the school in the future.

If we simply choose to look at the opportunities in the move, we can find many benefits for the county and its residents.