Please support Sequim School District’s operating levy and construction bond on the Feb. 11 ballot.
The levy is a critical part of the district’s budget. It funds athletics, music and other activities; special education and other academic programs; and budget gaps on items such as insurance and diesel fuel where state apportionment has not kept pace with inflation.
The bond will allow the district to replace Helen Haller Elementary, which was built more than 50 years ago and relies on aging portables to house many classes, and substantially renovate Sequim High School, which has been built over time since 1922.
These buildings have been found to be in poor condition by an independent evaluation, and they require excessive maintenance just to stay warm and dry. Their “California campus” designs do not meet current safety standards.
New buildings will allow the district to provide the modern programming and classes that parents and students expect and deserve.
When considering a place to live, one of the first things people look at is schools. To attract doctors and other needed professionals, Sequim needs to invest in schools that our community can take pride in. We have not passed a bond in almost 30 years (February 1996), and we cannot afford further delay.
Please fill out your ballot and drop it in the box as soon as it arrives. Don’t regret finding it in your pile of mail and realizing that your vote could have made the difference!
Patrice Johnston
Sequim
Sequim School Board director