Voting yes on the Mercer Island school bond in April | Letters to the editor

Two letters from readers.

Mercer Island school buildings need community support

I am writing this letter to you as a 58-year resident of Mercer Island, a former school board member, and father of two students who benefited greatly from the quality of their K-12 education in the Mercer Island School District. I encourage the community to vote yes for the upcoming bond measure in April.

Mercer Island High School and Islander Middle School are over 70 years old. Physical plants including HVAC, plumbing, fire systems at our Island schools are badly outdated. Construction costs have been rising at twice the cost of living, and upgrades will only get more expensive if we delay the necessary deferred maintenance issues. Water intrusions, fires and failed HVAC systems are extremely costly to fix in an emergency, e.g., if these systems fail during a school year. With only one high school and one middle school, we must do everything we can to keep the buildings open.

In addition to the specific needs at MIHS and MIMS, the bond includes a modest amount of funding to study what our options are with the three oldest elementary schools — Lakeridge, Island Park and West Mercer. A well thought out strategy would set the district up for staged upgrades to all three schools over the next 15 years.

This capital plan was developed by the Long-Range Facility Planning (LRFP) Committee over the past two years. Over 30 community members, including students, teachers, District employees and construction experts, were part of the Committee.

Mercer Island public schools have always been one of the attractive features of our community. Voters have traditionally supported school levy and bond measures. In doing so, we have been able to amplify academic achievement and keep Mercer Island as a desirable place to live. From a selfish standpoint, school tax payments have been a small price to pay for the appreciation in our property values.

I urge Island voters of all ages to vote yes for the school bond, building a foundation for academic excellence for years to come.

Charles (Chick) Hodge, Mercer Island

Vote yes on school bond

I encourage you to vote “yes” on the bond because our children matter, and because we want Mercer Island to continue to be a flagship school district.

School districts across our state, including ours, are struggling because the state is not fully funding the costs of basic education. As usual, our superintendent is handling this situation with transparency, frequent communication, and multiple opportunities for stakeholders to get involved.

These state funding issues are distinct from the needs of the buildings. Perhaps in an ideal world, our state would fund school buildings and their maintenance. That’s not how it works. Instead, communities come together to decide what buildings and improvements are needed, then approve school bonds to pay for them.

I do not understand those who say we shouldn’t approve the bond because the state isn’t fully funding education. This is punishing our children for our legislators’ choices.

I do not understand those who say we shouldn’t approve the bond because the district is facing budget challenges. If anything, this is more reason to approve the bond and ensure our children have what they need.

I do not understand those who say we shouldn’t approve the bond because it is a tax. This tax is a way for us to invest directly in the children of our own community.

I do not understand those who say we don’t need the bond. Please go tour the schools and see for yourselves. Our buildings are not up to Mercer Island standards. We can do better.

Like so many families, we moved here for the quality of the schools. Even though my kids are almost grown, I don’t want to see that deteriorate. I want to see us continue to invest in our children and our community. Don’t you?

Gwen Loosmore, Mercer Island