This is a photograph of Gus Anderson Field at McDowell High School on April 17. Photo by JACK HANRAHAN/

Last night’s Millcreek school board meeting brought in a crowd, and the vote is in. The plan is to demolish McDowell High School and merge with an enlarged McDowell Intermediate for a total cost of more than $110 million, but the story won’t end here. It’s the beginning of an event that will take years to complete.

We have six McDowell graduates in our family, and they are watching this drama unfold. While people on all sides are very passionate about their opinions, we all need to remember who is watching — on Facebook and all the media sites.

I joined and liked all the Facebook pages to see comments, and I agree with a little of what both sides have to say. We need better facilities. I think everyone agrees on that. And we need better communication in Millcreek. Here’s what I hope for next:

Respect. Just plain old respect and for both sides to be civil. Some comments and statements I’ve seen on Facebook have become personal attacks, and that just shouldn’t happen. I’m hoping that the next steps can include listening and that we all learn a lesson and teach a lesson to our kids that we can disagree, but we can do it without name-calling and personal insults. We have years ahead of us for this school transition to take place, and thousands of students will be living through it. Our kids need to feel good about their school and community.

Pam Parker is the parent of three and stepmom of three — all graduates of McDowell High School. Pam is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa.