The LaGrange City Council voted against shutting down a portion of Highland Avenue at Tuesday night’s meeting. The closure was requested by the Troup County School System, which is in the process of constructing a brand-new athletic complex right next to Highland.

The council chose to have a public hearing on the matter, an extra step that legally wasn’t required, but one that shows how much city leaders value community involvement. Most people who spoke were against the closure, noting the traffic issues it might cause, and the council — respecting the overall consensus — voted against.

The school system asked that a portion of the road be closed because of the number of students that will be frequenting the area. The athletic complex will be used by every athlete at the school in some shape or form and will require students to walk across that road at several different times throughout the day.

When you factor in Granger Park across the street, there’s a lot of people who go through that area each day.

The good news is that the school board still has time to come up with a workable solution since the athletic facility isn’t even under construction yet.

We understand the council’s hesitancy to close a road after hearing concerns about that potential decision from the community it serves.

We’re sure the school board will head back to the drawing board, whether that means raised crosswalks, an additional traffic light or gates that close during a certain part of the day.

There’s a way for everyone to get what they want here — the road staying open and keeping LaGrange High School students safe.