Let’s get Wenatchee and Eastmont schools bond issues over the finish line, for the sake of our kids
Let’s hope the third time’s the charm for the Eastmont School District bond issue that will fund the renovation of three ancient elementary schools as well as improve the safety and maintenance of other district facilities.
The district is asking voters to approve a $125 million bond issue on Nov. to upgrade the district’s facilities. If voters approve, the district will be able to access $25 million in state construction assistance, which reduces the financial burden for local taxpayers.
While the state theoretically fully funds education, local communities are on the hook for coming up with most of the construction funds. The bond would pay for rebuilding Kenroy, Lee and Cascade elementary schools, all of which were built nearly 70 years ago.
Twice, the district has run a similar bond issue and both efforts came excruciatingly close to succeeding. Meanwhile, the maintenance problems associated with keeping old buildings running is
Fortunately, the district has an energetic and creative group of volunteers pulling out all the stops to get this bond issue over the hump. Wisely, in my view, they are focusing on building “a culture of voting yes” for our local schools, according to Teka Sellers, who runs a public involvement company called Engage NCW.
Across the river in Wenatchee, voters are being asked to approve a $275 million bond to upgrade facilities. Both school construction bond votes are critical for our valley. Volunteers for both ‘Yes’ efforts have been collaborating.
I met with Sellers and fellow committee member Cathy Morris, the daughter of long-time Wenatchee School District educator Rebecca Britt and the parent of a Lee Elementary student. Morris and Sellers co-chair the marketing and communications effort of the committee.
“A lot of people aren’t aware that the state doesn’t fully fund education,” said Morris. “This is for a capital investment in our community and ultimately the more we delay this the more expensive it gets,” she added.
Another committee member is Natalie Scherck, the mother of four kids in the district. Natalie and others from the Kenroy Parent Teacher Organization have been producing some fun videos to raise awareness. One video uses a Western-themed ‘duel’ for the Battle of the Bridge. Another video explores the difficulty at Kenroy Elementary because the kitchen doesn’t meet code and so food served at the school has to be brought in from another school.
Another video features 82-year-old retired orchardist and winemaker Mike Scott, who is a huge proponent of the importance of kids having safe school facilities.
“I think no matter who their parents are or what they do (for a living), those kids need to have a good start and a good education,” said Scott.
The bond committee has been building a positive case to voters in hopes of passing the bond. Rather than trying to convince voters that tend to vote ‘no,’ the committee has been focused on getting voters who typically support local schools out to the ballot box. Morris and Sellers say they’ve been getting a lot of positive comments from videos and other social media posts that help voters better understand the issues.
Another key talking point has been the $25 million that the state will kick in if the measure passes. If that money isn’t used in East Wenatchee, it will go to other communities around the state.
Scott points out that the condition of a community’s schools speaks volumes about whether the community cares about its youngsters. When the buildings are falling apart, people will ask whether that’s a community they want to call home.
As Superintendent Spencer Taylor puts it in an informational video put out by the district, “our goal is for every student to be competent, confident and compassionate.” The students and families in the Eastmont School District deserve updated and safer school environments, as do students in every other local school district.
The Eastmont School District estimates that the bond would require a property tax rate of $.71 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. For more details, check out eastmont206.org/bond-information/index.
Fellow voters, let’s put our students first and approve both the Eastmont and Wenatchee bond issues. It seems to me we have an obligation as community members to make sure our youngsters have safe and updated facilities while they attend school.
