Moving on isn’t always easy, especially when confusion and distrust emerges like it did in Oxford regarding the city’s school district last week.

Oxford Schools Superintendent Brian Harvey’s suggestion in the Oxford High School newspaper that the district faces an achievement gap because “there is not a private school or other real viable options” was troubling.

Oxford is fortunate, of course, to have a public school system that the entire community can get behind, one that serves students of all backgrounds. We are blessed that we don’t have strong private schools siphoning off students.

We have no question that Harvey understands that. We just think the message got lost in communication.

Good communication, however, is perhaps the most important role of school leaders.

That’s why the most recent words from the Oxford schools superintendent are so important.

Harvey has made a clear, unflinching apology. He’s sorry, he said, for his choice of words when discussing Oxford School District’s achievement gap.

Harvey also made clear his intent to include the community “in whatever discussions and decisions are made about the future of our schools and students.”

So, apology accepted.

Now, we must move on, focusing on what we can achieve together.