Vote yes for the best investment in our future

Issaquah Press – 01/21/2014

I am writing to offer my support, and that of the Greater Issaquah Chamber of Commerce, for the Issaquah School District levies, which citizens will vote on in February.

The chamber, in serving as the voice of more than 500 businesses representing more than 50,000 local and regional employees, strongly supports these measures and urges a yes vote.

Local funding for our schools provides truly critical resources for our kids. Without this funding, the quality of their education will suffer. In a highly-competitive global economy for talent, this is the best investment we can make in our future and the right thing to do to support our local students.

It is also important to note that the quality of the Issaquah School District, made possible through strong district leadership, outstanding parental involvement, teaching excellence, and strong corporate and individual contributions through the Issaquah Schools Foundation, offers a major economic advantage to our community.

Potential residents and new businesses seek out the best school districts to locate their families and enterprises, respectively, and Issaquah is among the top contenders. This helps property values, job growth and economic vitality. The performance and reputation of our school district was also one of the major community and economic strengths identified recently by the city of Issaquah’s Economic Vitality Commission in its community SWOT analysis. Let’s keep this going.

In the post-Great Recession reality where job creation and helping citizens find meaningful employment must be a top priority for policy makers and citizens alike, support for our local schools is one way local citizens can help contribute to the future of our kids and our community.

I urge your support in helping our children thrive and our community prosper by supporting the three Issaquah school levies.

Matthew Bott, chief executive officer

Greater Issaquah Chamber of Commerce