It’s time for a new school in Tisbury. Past time, to be sure, but at this stage there is no need to dwell on the past and every reason to look to the future.

The $55 million schematic plan now on the drawing board to renovate and expand the historic town school would rebuild from the inside out a long-crumbling facility full of lead paint and mold, and lacking adequate space for computer science classes, healthy lunches or gym instruction.

If it does not please everyone, it is a plan that took diverse interests into account to end the stalemate that has left Tisbury children in a shameful environment for learning.

The plan is worthy of approval by voters when they head to the ballot box Tuesday for the annual town election.

It is a credit to town leaders too, who did not hesitate three years ago when the previous school plan failed at the ballot box by just 21 votes. There was no bitterness or whining, just a wide-ranging group of good citizens rolling up their sleeves and starting over again.

This is the way democracy works at its best: by forming a new building committee, going back to the voters to raise money for new preliminary work ($400,000 overwhelmingly approved at town meeting in April 2019), hiring project managers and architects through a public bidding process (done September-November 2019), and finally drawing up schematic plans with ample opportunity at every step for public feedback and participation (done through more than 45 public meetings over the past year and a half).

Democracy at its worst is when people wage underground campaigns through email and social media, seeding doubt and parroting misinformation at the eleventh hour instead of helping achieve the best outcome by taking part in the process.

Voters should ignore these stealth campaigns and instead follow their collective heart and conscience on election day Tuesday.

And no one has expressed more heart and conscience during this long journey than school principal John Custer. In eloquent remarks at the special town meeting Sunday, he reminded voters of the school slogan: We Are the Tisbury School.

Voters agreed and overwhelmingly approved the plan. Now one more step is needed to make the new school a reality: a majority vote in the ballot box on June 22 to exempt the bond debt from the provisions of Proposition 2 1/2.

Early voting began Thursday at the town emergency services building, which sits across the street from the old brick building that has housed Island school children since 1929. Ironically, Thursday was also the last day of school. As handfuls of voters trickled in to cast ballots, teachers sent their young charges off for the summer in a shower of soap bubbles on a bright June day. An omen perhaps for a brighter future for the Tisbury School.

Election day is Tuesday. Polls are open from noon to 8 p.m. Please remember to vote.