Support for School Bond Encouraged

Dear Editor,

I am writing this letter to encourage voter support for the Dayton School District Campus Wide Improvement Bond. I have been on the facility committee that has met continually during the last year and feel the committee has effectively concluded the extensive project is needed. The process was painstaking and a great deal of thought and effort went into the planning. The Study and Survey done by engineers and architects identified the repairs that need to be done to the high school building which is 93 years old. The committee reviewed many options before presenting the recommendation to the school board. There is no disputing the fact that the project will be expensive. The committee considered limiting the scope of the project and also considered proceeding with multiple stages of development over a long span of time as an alternative. Ulti­mately the committee concluded the only way to accomplish the most effective and truly needed aspects of the project meant it needed to be completed all at once.

I would encourage voters to consider the bond and to ask themselves these ques­tions: "If not now, when?" and "If not us, then who?" If we wait for the economy to get better, the cost of construction and the bond will both undoubtedly increase. If we deny the project, the problems will not go away. Current interest rates are low, and are not likely to get lower. The failing infrastruc­ture will continue to be problematic and the cost of repairs will take valuable education dollars away from our primary objective of meeting student learning goals. Please vote "Yes" on the April ballot.

Paula Moisio

Dayton