Letter to the Editor: Joshua Schaier, Student

A yes vote improves learning  environment for 17,000 students

I am an 11th-grade student at Skyline High School and on behalf of my peers I urge and implore you to vote for the Issaquah School District’s capital bond.

You have doubtlessly heard about the virtues of the capital bond from various respected figures in the community, ranging from City Council members to state legislators. However, they are not affected by the capital bond as my peers and I are. Seventeen thousand of my peers are relying on your vote to improve the conditions of our schools, to maximize our potential and to make our educational experience the best it can be.

It may seem that making costly improvements to stadiums is a silly waste of money that could be spent on other things, but athletics is exceptionally important to my peers; it builds character, and brings in extra revenue and press to the school district. It may seem that rebuilding Clark Elementary, Issaquah Middle and Sunny Hills elementary schools is a waste of our money when there are cheaper alternatives, but fixing the problems with those schools now will prevent us from having to take a costlier path to fix the problems later. And it may seem that your taxes will increase with this bond, but they will actually decrease. There are no losers when you vote yes.

It may seem that the capital bond is not the right option, but that is not the truth. I have been a part of the bond process from nearly the very beginning, having served on the Capital Bond Feasibility and Development Committee during my sophomore year, and I understand the importance of having this bond passed. It is my hope that you, too, will understand that the bond should be passed.

When you get your ballots in the mail, vote yes for the capital bond and support me and my peers in our struggle to achieve our full potential, compete in a global economy and be the best that we can be.

Joshua Schaier