It will be a tall order to find a better feel-good community story in the near future than the decision by the Hermiston School District to pay for all school supplies for elementary and middle school students for the start of the school year.

The district will also waive pay-to-play fees for grades six through 12.

All supplies will stay in the classroom, so parents will need to buy some school items for homework, but the move by the district is an extraordinarily decision.

The funds for school supplies comes from federal COVID-19 relief funds, while the district will use its own general fund to take care of the fee waiver.

The federal money was crucial for the district to be able to cover the expense of the school supplies but the district, its leaders and school board members should be lauded for thinking outside the box to help our youth.

Providing school supplies can be, and often is, a stressful episode for many families. The cost can be high, and if a family has more than one or two children the final tally can be prohibitive.

That’s why this decision by the district is so important to so many families. To have a potential challenge like purchasing back-to-school supplies terminated means some families will not be burdened at a time when events — such as the COVID-19 pandemic — are already creating more stress than normal.

Actions by school officials — such as board members, administrators or teachers — often only see the light of day if there is some type of controversy. Their consistent hard work is also often forgotten or overlooked.

Yet, this decision by the district shows a degree of excellence and community care that is outstanding. The district made the right decision, and its officers, teachers and board members deserve to be lauded.

The district officials did a commendable and honorable thing by these two decisions. They clearly put the care of students — and, to a degree, their parents — to the forefront. That shows a group of people who not only say the right things about students and education but also back it up with action.

Nowadays that is a rare circumstance.

The Hermiston School District deserves a great deal of credit for its actions on this one. We applaud it.