It looks like it will be quite awhile before we see a new Capron Elementary School or Southampton County Jail in Courtland.

Both buildings are aging, overcrowded and in need of replacement.

The Capron school has room for 89 students, but has 176 enrolled. The jail has space for 38 inmates, yet as of Thursday, squeezed in 61.

The cost of building a new school is $10 million. A new jail, $5.9 million.

County Administrator Mike Johnson and the Board of Supervisors have made it quite clear: there is no money available.

We are not sure there is any good answer to replacing these aging buildings. In addition, the county’s debt at the beginning of the fiscal year was $70 million.

We can only assume that the best thing to do is continue chipping away at the debt while making due. Johnson’s estimating it could be five years before any considerable capital improvements are made.

Maybe in the interim, state or federal funding will become available.