Letter | No on school bond

It's unfortunate but not surprising to see the editor of this newspaper back her way into supporting the school bond issue in the same manner that she might embrace a Pioneer Square inebriate. After listing many but not all of the districts failures in putting this bond measure before the community, the poor planning, the lack of professional input, the failure to prepare a plan as promised for the school district property, the role the school district has played in adopting policies that have exacerbated the overcrowding of schools, the legacy of poor real estate decisions by the district, the lack of sufficient time to review the proposal, ad nauseum, the editor then meekly says that we should do the right thing by voting yes.

This measure is going to be defeated by the voters of Mercer Island and that is something in which none take any joy. The district leadership, which does such an admirable job of running the schools and providing a quality educational experience, is out of their element when it comes to real estate and development matters. They think they have the expertise but they don't.  Their tendency to jump in and out of real estate deals, to buy land that might someday, somehow be traded for some other land that could actually be used for a school is rather embarrassing.

By now the readers of this newspaper have been made aware of the many weaknesses and fallacies that are contained within the school district's plans. They know that it is not necessary to tear down four of the district's five schools.  They know that the district needs to hire a professional team to work in concert with local citizens to prepare a reasoned and reasonable plan which will then be supported in great numbers by the voters. This is not that plan. This is not the bond that you should be voting for.  Push away that drunken inebriate and demand that the district prepare a sober plan that makes sense.

Geoff Spelman

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