When Riverdale Elementary School opens in less than three weeks, it becomes the third jewel in Southampton County’s crown of elementary schools.

Already, new buildings for Meherrin and Nottoway have elevated the bricks and mortar level of the school system

Riverdale, which is being dedicated Sunday afternoon, becomes the third on that list. Only Capron Elementary, in the west portion of the county, can be considered “old.”

But one aspect of the Riverdale project that stands out during the dedication and opening process is how the work began. It started with a donation of land from a would-be developer. Whether the developer was trying to curry favor will not be debated here.