Dilapidated schools reflect poorly on community

By George and Cathy Young, Gig Harbor
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My wife and I moved our young family to Gig Harbor in 1985 for the natural beauty and the tremendous community. My children and grandchildren have all attended the Peninsula schools. Our community has experienced wonderful growth; however, it has negatively impacted our school system. We haven’t built a new elementary school in 26 years. Our overcrowded, aging and deteriorating schools do not reflect well on the image of Gig Harbor. One-third of our elementary classrooms are in portables, enough to fill two large new schools. The teachers and staff are going over and above what should be required to provide a quality education, with some even teaching in closets, kitchens and other makeshift spaces. 

We have not passed a school bond since 2003. The only funding mechanism for school infrastructure is through bonds. The old 2003, 20-year bond was paid off early, which allows this bond to replace it and not impact our local school property tax rate. Good schools reflect positively on our community and become an investment in our future. We need to provide the kids of today with an excellent education just as our parents and grandparents provided us back in the day.

Please join my family in voting yes for the Feb. 12 PSD Bond!

This transcript taken from the original letter published in the Peninsula Gateway on January 24th, 2019