PLEASE PASS THE SCHOOL BOND

By Ann Fessler, Gig Harbor

The Peninsula School District must pass its school bond. When I see that Sumner is taxed at $2.80 and then realize that, if it passes, Peninsula School District’s tax rate will be $.79, I see red. Yes, I am livid. Peninsula Schools are so superior to other school districts, but it hasn’t passed a levy since 2003 because a few citizens campaign against the school bond. They simply object to paying for schools, and it’s not that they can’t afford to pay the tax. As I look on the Peninsula School District Compass that we all recently received in the mail, I see that every single one of our elementary schools is over capacity, one is 46 percent over capacity!

When schools are as crowded as the PSD Compass pointed out, not only are the students and the teachers stressed with the extra bodies, but so many areas are impacted: recess, assemblies, counseling, nurses and lunches. Additional recesses need to be added. There are just too many bodies. Instead of one assembly, there needs to be two for everyone to fit. And there just aren’t enough nurses, counselors and libraries for the myriad of students. Please vote yes for our kids.

This transcript taken from the original letter published in the Peninsula Gateway on January 31st, 2019