Last night, we ordered pizzas, and I realized that, once a month, those pies cost me about what the school levy will.
I did tip the driver, but still.
Our older schools were not built for earthquakes.
In most areas, our middle school doesn’t have fire sprinklers or even insulation.
A 75 percent tax increase? We currently pay zero taxes for school construction.
We do have a local levy for vocational programs, sports, buses, music, paraeducators, and the like, but not for construction.
We will continue to have zero for school buildings unless we act.
Zero timber money also; that only comes if we have a levy or bond to apply it toward.
Call it 75 percent, 100 percent, or a thousandfold. Any increase from zero looks like a big number.
Even the McCleary thing is only for operations, and will not fund facilities.
Voters said no to a new high school, and after 2015 voters mandated lower class sizes.
The will of the people is what the plans must address. The PAHS bond would have cost $181 million over 25 years, fixing only one school.
This plan costs $46.7 million over six years, fixes the middle school for 30 years, lowers class sizes at five elementaries, and starts us toward fixing three more schools.
If voters renew it twice in the next 18 years, it still saves $40 million because this route costs us nothing in interest.
That’s better value, by far. We need to get going on our schools. I’m voting yes.
Steve Methner
Port Angeles
Steve Methner is the chairman of Port Angeles Citizens for Education.