This graduation season was an important one for me.

Outsiders like myself have spent a lot of time thinking about education and specifically, the way it is and will be funded.

It always has been something of a political issue even when the state seems relatively flush with cash. In the this economic climate where all budgets that depend heavily on the state financing are seeing huge pay cuts, the political aspects of school finance get even tougher.

I tend to side with public schools much more often than not, but even I have been critical of Douglas County School district’s decision to charge for bussing knowing full well that there are no easy decisions to make when it comes to fixing budget shortfalls.

But last week, I, along with my staff and many parents and friends of graduates got to see a much more pleasant side of the school system.

I went to two graduations at Red Rocks, one for Mountain Vista and the other for Highlands Ranch High School.

At both, I was struck by the genuine bond principals, teachers and other staff had with the students graduating that day.

There were the obligatory speeches outlined in the programs, but there was nothing obligatory about the words. There were some good inside jokes, some words of wisdom and a lot of pride.

And it wasn’t all for show. While I wasn’t shooting photos, I was standing off to the side of the stage so as not to block anyone’s view. There, teachers and other staff, including school resource officers from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, stood watching and listening and guiding graduates to and from the stage.

I saw more high-fives, hugs and handshakes there than I did on stage.

It was a glimpse into the personal relationships and bonds of respect that go into educating kids that sometimes gets forgotten in political debates.

Are there things that need to be fixed with the way public education is funded, run, etc.? Certainly. I doubt anyone thinks the system can’t be tweaked even if they can’t agree about how to do it.

But is there a lot of good work going on? You bet. Chief among them is that kids are surrounded by a lot of people personally invested in their education.

With that as the starting point, it’s hard to imagine that solutions to the other problems can’t be found.

Jeremy Bangs is the managing editor of Colorado Community Newspapers.