SCHOOL BOND AND LEVY

Reader wants people to vote 'yes'

I am urging all residents of the Moses Lake School District to vote "yes" on the upcoming levy and bond measures. Failure to pass these measures will result in compromising our schools as we know them, present a larger financial burden down the road and, ultimately, decrease our property values.

The proposed levy doesn't add "frills" to the educational experience. Levy dollars fund much needed physical education and music at the elementary schools, and critical services district-wide. Failure to pass the levy means loss of over 150 local jobs, including nurses, counselors, bus drivers, custodians, and teachers. This hurts local businesses and our health care community. Levies also help fund maintenance; if we don't maintain our facilities, they will fall into gross disrepair and cost more to fix later on.

The proposed bond can provide our students with safer and more adequate learning environments. In three years, if we experience no growth, there will be 2,600 students at Moses Lake High School: 900 students over capacity. Our secondary schools do not have sufficient space to teach the classes necessary for higher education nor career-readiness.

I've been a district parent since 2002; my children are currently in elementary, middle, and high school. I frequently witness firsthand the dedication and expertise of our staff, the excellent academics taught to our students, and the wide array of extracurricular activities (not just sports) available to our kids. Do we want the current echelon of education compromised and property values to decrease as a result of weakening our public schools? This district is committed to high quality education-and has delivered. Decreases in state funding have devastated the budget. Your "yes" votes make a difference in our students' futures.

Maintain our high-quality schools: vote "yes" twice - your community will benefit.

Laura Lea O'Brien

Moses Lake