Guest Opinion: The importance of local support for Sequim Schools

Whether we are retirees wanting to make sure our first responders are highly trained, or we are health care professionals with young families just starting out, or we are business leaders looking for a skilled work force; making sure Sequim has 21st century facilities for our children to learn in benefits us all.

Whether we are retirees wanting to make sure our first responders are highly trained, or we are health care professionals with young families just starting out, or we are business leaders looking for a skilled work force; making sure Sequim has 21st century facilities for our children to learn in benefits us all.

The construction bond that is in front of voters this February provides what the Sequim School District needs to deliver a safe, technologically up-to-date educational environment. There is a complete list of projects included on the district’s website but among the most important for our students to remain competitive in the global marketplace is replacing the antiquated science classrooms that are over 50 years old.

The school district listened to the community after last year’s bond proposal and came back to the voters with a more basic proposal that I believe the community is ready to support.

Know that when you vote “Yes” for this bond the total local schools tax rate will be less in 2016 than it was in 2013. How can that be? The district has been responsible stewards of the public’s dollars and has paid off the bond that built the middle school. The Transportation Vehicle Fund levy also will be retired.

Most people have heard by now about the challenges we face in the Legislature on meeting the “paramount duty” of the state to amply fund K-12 education. It is estimated to be an additional $1.2 billion of ongoing fiscal obligation. These additional dollars are to meet the requirements of what the Legislature defined as basic education in ESHB 2261 and SHB 2776 back in 2009.

These potential new dollars will focus solely on educational programs and supports, not capital projects. Only bonds can fund capital improvements for schools.

There is talk of a possibility there may be some type of “levy swap” where the state assumes more of the local levy obligation, but that again would be focused on educational programs not modernization or construction of facilities. If eventually there were additional capital dollars made available by the Legislature for schools, my guess would be that those dollars would be made available for additional classrooms for all day kindergarten and to reduce class size in grades K-3 because these are requirements under the basic education obligation.

Isn’t the best way we can invest in our future is to invest in our schools? By supporting the capital bond we will be making Sequim Schools more energy efficient, limiting maintenance costs and providing for a more secure and efficient school campus and all for less money than we were paying before.

Please join me in voting “Yes” for the school bond in February.

Steve Tharinger is a member of the Washington House of Representatives representing the 24th District.