An Oct. 19 letter to the editor encouraged us to do our research before voting in the Snoqualmie Valley School District school board races. Here are three facts that the writer apparently missed.

First, of an original 440 ninth graders, only 315 graduated on time last June. This is the lowest on-time graduation rate of any Eastside school district.

Second, our school district spends the lowest percent of total funds on teachers of any Eastside school district. Meanwhile, spending on administrators has skyrocketed from $2 million to $3 million. Had we spent the same percent on teachers as the Bellevue school district—and spent less on administrators—we could have hired 20 more teachers this year.

Third, because our current school board spent money on administrators instead of teachers, we have among the highest class sizes of any school district in the state. Perhaps this is why so many of our kids are failing to graduate on time. The challengers will put school district money back where it belongs—into hiring more teachers. If you want more teachers, lower class sizes, higher graduation rates and a better future for our children, please do your research—then vote for all three challengers!

David Spring, M. Ed., parent,

North Bend