Most Skagit County residents probably thought Secret Harbor was a great idea, a much-admired and noble effort, as long as it was on Cypress Island. Out of sight, out of mind.

Now that the school for troubled boys has started moving to the mainland and is establishing itself in residential areas, the view is changing for some people. Up close and personal will do that.

The school sold its Cypress Island property to the state and has been using the proceeds to buy local residential properties, intending to spread the boys across a wider area and put them in more-normal surroundings than an isolated camp.

News of that effort has some people worried — potential neighbors for the most part. The city of Sedro-Woolley has twice sought to block Secret Harbor facilities in that community because of concerns about the young residents.

Their concerns are understandable. These are, to use the overarching cliché, troubled kids. But Secret Harbor’s entire premise is that they are not beyond help or hope. The controlled setting of a group home is the baseline for transition to a better experience for the boys. Life skills are a major part of what they learn at Secret Harbor. And they are often coming from situations where those skills were not valued or particularly useful when survival skills were paramount.

Secret Harbor is working hard to be a good neighbor wherever they are. The organization has sponsored two open houses to let nearby residents see what the facilities look like and talk to staff.

The home’s track record in Burlington is good so far — the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office hasn’t received any complaints.

Still, old attitudes and persistent rumors die hard. Secret Harbor no longer accepts kids with criminal histories. Students are expected to be capable of living in a community setting. All are from the Northwest Washington. Natalie Gustafson, a group care counselor at Secret Harbor, pointed out in a recent Skagit Valley Herald story that “We are saving the kids that are in our area.”

That’s not entirely mollifying to people who might live near a Secret Harbor home. As Gustafson also noted, “people assume the worst.”

More precisely, people fear the worst. Only time and experience will dispel that uneasiness. Secret Harbor is still a great idea and a noble, necessary program. Now the organization will have to establish credibility and trust in its new environments. The school, and its students, deserve a chance to do that.

• Editorials reflect the consensus opinion of the editorial board and are written by its members: Publisher L. Stedem Wood, Editor Don Nelson and City Editor Dick Clever.