Letter | Bond is paying for our future

Published 5:19 pm Tuesday, February 3, 2015

I am deeply concerned about our need to pass the upcoming school bond. While my own children are grown, my interests are many: I am the parent of a teacher in the district; I have friends with children at all levels in the schools; I own property within the district; and I am dependent upon those coming through our education system for my future needs.

Many people had the foresight to pay for improvements to the schools my own kids attended so they could receive a decent education and go on to be productive members of our community.

I believe it is our obligation to do the same for those coming behind us and their children.

My kids were in a district going through similar growing pains as Snoqualmie is facing now, and at times it was quite contentious. Those who had been in the district for years felt pushed aside by the newcomers, and the newcomers often didn’t listen to their concerns. It was painful for all, but the ones who paid the price were the kids in overcrowded classrooms and schools that desperately needed repairs and improvements while bonds failed to pass.

If the bond fails to pass here, our children will be the ones to suffer. The need for a sixth elementary school is urgent; growth is occurring all over, impacting the entire district. Mount Si High School was built to serve the needs of a completely different era in education, one where students sat in rows and filled out worksheets, not one where technology is a necessity and learning to work with others, across disciplines, is a requirement, which demands far more teacher interaction than when I was in school.

All of the buildings need repairs, and the costs of those repairs only go up when left unattended. The bond has been well thought out to provide a long-term, comprehensive solution.

Growth will continue whether we pass this bond or not. Raising the price we pay on our taxes is difficult for all of us, but I believe it is short-sighted to only focus on the present. We are paying for our future. The kids we support now will be the doctors, nurses, mechanics, police, and others taking care of us later. Don’t they deserve the best?

Lynda Lahman

Snoqualmie