While the lack of space in Shelby County schools is definitely a concern that officials need to address, the fact that we have too many students is not an entirely negative problem.

The Shelby County Board of Education has a long road ahead in making sure that students in our school system have a place to sit.

School officials are having to add as many as 175 portable classrooms this year to help alleviate some of the overcrowding in schools.

While new facilities such as Chelsea Park and the new Calera High and Helena Middle Schools are on the horizon, these schools will only make a small dent in a problem that gets larger with each new school year.

The upside of having too many students for our facilities should be obvious to most. Shelby County has some of the best school administrators and teachers in the state.

While the facilities are small and cramped, the quality of teaching and learning environments are top notch.

The state&8217;s AYP scores for Shelby County, which were released last week, are a testament to the quality education that our boys and girls are receiving each day at our local schools.

They might not be learning in a permanent classroom and they might have to wait longer in the cafeteria lines, but the positives that come with the education that students in the Shelby County school system far out-weighs the negatives that come with overcrowding.

Every parent in Shelby County should feel grateful that their child is getting one of the best public educations available in Alabama and the nation