Time may heal all wounds — but that doesn’t apply to old buildings. Time just makes them worse and more expensive.

That’s the case with Wrangell’s school buildings and Public Safety Building, which are all three or four decades old. All are showing the signs of rot, mildew, ventilation, roof and siding problems, in addition to boilers, fire alarm panels and other safety features that need a contractor’s care. The only thing that lasts forever in a rain forest without maintenance is the muskeg.

After years of dodging the costly building repairs and upgrades, the borough assembly decided — unani...