Three new school board seats have been filled, and with that voters said goodbye to three longtime board members.

As the county bid farewell to Ned Locke, Brette Arbogast and Bernadine Johnson; many greeted newcomers Gloria Talbott, Larry Fannon and JonPaul Berkley.

While some may be disappointed in that voters, as a whole, let go of their favorite board members, we see this as a new beginning for the Charlotte County School Board.

We appreciate everything that the outgoing members did for this community.

They sacrificed their time to be a part of an organization that strives to make the school system better, spent hours listening to the concerns of local parents and tried to come up with ideas that would make those parents happy.

They did a great amount for this community and we thank them for their time spent in their positions.

But, today is a new day and a new beginning for the board. We see this a fresh start for the whole community.

Three new members is an opportunity for the board to grow in their decision-making and in their outreach. The people who voted in new members are more likely to pay attention more to the board and things they are trying to accomplish because the candidates they supported have been established as members.

With three new faces, comes three new bright minds — minds that will think differently and will be able to approach cases differently. They might be able to shed light on situations that other members were not aware of and they may be able to brainstorm a solution to a problem that other members would love.

We look forward to seeing what each new board member will bring to the table.

lican, represents Charlotte County in the Virginia State Senate. His email address is Sen.Ruff@verizon.net.