ROYAL SCHOOL BOND

Most people know that my husband, Eric Carlson teaches science, chemistry, and physics at Royal High School. What many people may not know is that I taught math and chemistry at four different schools in Utah and California before taking a break from teaching to stay at home with our children.

I have taught in portables. I have taught in assignments where I shared classrooms and taught each class period in a different room. While I did my best and felt I provided my students with a quality education in these less-than-ideal situations, it is a fact that some learning opportunities were missed by my students because of the subpar classroom conditions.

I want better for my children and my children's teachers here in Royal School District.

Besides affecting the types of activities a teacher can use, classroom conditions also affect the quality of teachers that Royal's schools are able to attract and retain. High quality teachers give us the best return for our education dollars.

We want the best teachers possible for our children and their classmates. One of the reasons my husband was so attracted to Royal High in the first place was the high quality science facilities.

In the months prior to coming to Royal, we had both subbed in a number of other schools in central Washington, and Royal has the best science facilities we've seen for a school this size. I appreciate the expense that was put into building the quality science facilities at Royal High School years before we came here, so that this would be a place my husband is enthusiastic about teaching for years to come.

In the future, as we hire new teachers, the best teachers often have a choice about where they want to teach. Those teachers are less likely to choose Royal Schools if their teaching assignment is to be in a portable classroom, or as roving teacher, teaching from a cart in a different classroom each period.

The best teachers are more likely to choose to come to Royal and remain here if they have a quality classroom and school space built with long term needs in mind. Quality schools requires quality teachers above all else, and quality teachers are more likely to be attracted to quality facilities.

Money for education is an investment in the future of our community. Our children need a good education to have the best career options and opportunities for higher education whether they choose to remain in Royal Slope or move elsewhere. They need to be trained to be competitive here In our own community and throughout the state and country.

Royal School District is currently providing a very good return on the investment for educational dollars spent. We consistently outscore other school districts of similar size and demographics on standardized tests.

We are fortunate in Royal School District to have the lowest school related property tax rates in the area, and Royal will continue to have the lowest school related property taxes even after the bond passes.

Our current school facilities, as well as the proposed buildings, are not "fancy" or "expensive" as some have suggested. Compared to other schools I've attended, worked in and visited, our schools are modest and practical. Construction may seem expensive compared to construction of private home because of the strict building codes demanded by the state for a public school building.

I, for one, am proud to have my children in Royal Schools and appreciate the hard work of our administration, faculty, and community to make Royal Schools a good place for my children to go to school and a good place for my husband to teach. I hope you will join me in supporting our children, teachers, and schools in voting yes on the upcoming bond measure.

Polly Carlson

Royal City