With two revised school budgets being passed Tuesday and a third being defeated, all three districts still have a lot of work to do to mend fences in their communities.

The rejection by taxpayers of three budgets last month and the subsequent statements made by some school board members and community members indicates an unacceptable disconnect between the two.

In the wake of original budget defeats, school board members in more than one district suggested that voters may have been confused, believing they were rejecting capital projects, not operation budgets. Others talked about well-orchestrated efforts by budget opponents that were said to have convinced voters to reject sound budgets.

Whether these beliefs are true or not, they are symptomatic of a communication breakdown.

School boards need to foster better relationships with the communities they represent. The taxpayers need to know that they are being listened to, not being talked down to or downright deceived, as some have charged.

The us-against-them mentality that seems to creep into some school boards and pockets of the public, alike, should never be allowed to develop in the first place.

School board members need to focus on the delicate balance they are charged with in acting in both the best interest of the school districts they oversee and the taxpayers they represent.

Obviously, there is a great need to compromise when deciding how best to offer a quality education on the limited resources available to pay for it.

So, while all the numbers are now in place, these three school boards need to avoid the easy route of simply looking ahead, but take the events of the past few weeks and reflect upon what went right and what went wrong.

Next year, when these boards are putting together their proposed spending plans, their actions must reflect a better understanding of the people they represent.