Disturbing news out of Rogers City recently, as the Rogers City school district decided to put up for sale its Grambau Education Center, asking $500,000 and apparently taking the Presque Isle District Library folks by surprise.

According to reporting by News staff writer Crystal Nelson, the library folks were very publicly interested in that building for a library and community center and had openly pursued the idea of a property tax proposal. They’d already raised $12,000 toward the project, but they had no formal agreement with the school district to keep the building on hold for them.

Nick Hein, school superintendent, told his Board of Education he had talked to the library and urged them to continue pursuing the project, but, “If we are just narrowing ourselves to one thing, we’re not accomplishing it all the way.” Putting the building up for sale does not preclude any deal from coming together.

The library leaders, however, said the half-million ask is beyond the library’s reach, and library Director Amber Alexander said no one from the school district let her know the property would be listed.

We understand the positions of both sides. The school district regularly digging into its savings to balance its budget, can’t just sit on a $500,000 asset. The library already has invested in a long-term plan to acquire and renovate the Grambau.

What we don’t understand is the apparent inability to communicate.

Everyone at the library and everyone at the school district is working for the betterment of Rogers City and its students and families, and it’s important for all to be on the same page on this and any other matter.

We hope officials from both camps are discussing the issue as we speak and can move forward without animosity.