Our family always has said that, “Home is where the Coast Guard sends us.” When my husband was directed to be the Commanding Officer of the USCGC Cuttyhunk in Port Angeles in 2002, we were delighted to start our new adventure on the North Olympic Peninsula. However, when it came time to find a place to call home and register our daughter in school, we chose Sequim. The dedication and professionalism of the teachers, administrators and district personnel impressed us from the very beginning and won our loyalty and support.

Now, we face another bond measure and another opportunity to support our schools. This time we’re facing the greatest challenges of all:

• Providing greater security for our students, teachers and staff

• Dealing with aging structures and shifting residential boundaries

• Planning ahead for the growing numbers of students enrolling in the district

• Creating facilities that are flexible, adaptable, efficient and durable

• Reflecting our community’s values and providing facilities that can support performing arts, sports and alternative education needs.

There are plenty of numbers floating around – most of them with dollar signs attached. The dollar signs are intimidating, but there is no reason to be afraid of them. They will be spread out over a long period of time resulting in amazing benefits for our students, our families and our community.

But here are the most important numbers to consider: the class of 2015, the class of 2016, the class of 2017, the class of 2018 …

Please vote YES to support our schools.

Diana and Jim Stoffer

Sequim