As a member of the Community Facilities Committee for the Sequim School District, I would like to share a few observations.

We have held over a dozen meetings in the past 12 months and all committee members have had opportunities to tour all the school facilities and review their condition. Our observations were discussed with school district employees — both teachers and administrators and we were joined in those discussions by the BLRB design team from Tacoma.

The committee came up with an all-encompassing list of needed improvements or replacements district wide which was presented to the school board.

I applaud the school board for having the foresight and willingness to place one bond to the public. By tackling the facilities needs in this way the board recognized that the bond will be expensive to the voters, but less costly than numerous smaller bond issues over several years. Authorizing a 20-year bond over the more traditional 25- or 30-year bonds will save taxpayers millions of dollars in interest, because interest rates are locked in at the time the bond is authorized.

Interest rates are at historically low levels and authorizing the bond now will save many millions of dollars as opposed to if interest rates were only 1 or 2 percent higher than today.

I do strongly urge a “YES” vote for the bond, and please ask yourself this one question, “If not now, when?” These facility improvements must be addressed and waiting only costs all of us more money.

Phil Castell

Sequim