Building a new elementary school in Oxford is not only wise, it is pretty much mandatory.

The city is growing fast and schools are feeling the most pressure in elementary grades. That pressure, projections show, will only intensify in coming years.

That’s why the Oxford School District, now officially moving through the process, has scheduled public hearings for these dates: April 10, May 1 and June 5 at 6 p.m.

We urge citizens with questions or concerns to attend the hearings so that they don’t turn around after a bond vote is underway with little time to explore questions and concerns.

We believe a new elementary school in Oxford is wise, since overcrowding at any school is never good, and it is more challenging at the elementary levels, serving the formative years.

Lafayette County Schools are exploring the same thing — a new elementary school — and that system has the same need, expansion in the primary grades with a long-term eye on better schools for the future.

But any time residents are faced with bonds and building a new school many citizens will have questions and concerns. That’s why these initial public hearings in Oxford are important.