Dear Editor,

The Tonasket school district capital improvement bond is for the students of the district. These students have names and faces. The job of educating students is difficult in many ways. Tonasket has a dedicated education team and the lack of adequate facilities makes their job of properly educating the students much more difficult, sometimes nearly impossible.

An advisory committee of community members looked at the needs of the students & teachers. This is not a “wish” list. This bond was their recommendation which the school board accepted.

When the current school was built 20 years ago there was a shortage of funds to complete the building. The middle school gym was built without enough room to extend the bleachers fully. The Ag Shop space was severely reduced making it impossible for students to utilize some machines and equipment. These and other issues that impact the students learning & safety have surfaced since then and would be remedied with this bond. Programs have been mandated by the State of Washington, with little or no funding. This bond would provide the space to implement these programs.

Increasing taxes is difficult for all of us, but this is a tax that directly benefits our community & the future of our children & grandchildren who are the future of Tonasket and our country. The previous bond was paid off last year.

If you have questions, please contact us or the District Office. Remember the future of our students, community and country and vote Feb. 10.

Patti and George Hill

Tonasket