Children deserve a safe, quiet school

As an educator, parent, grandparent and longtime community member, I am voting “yes” for the Central Valley School District bond.

I have been a teacher at Greenacres Elementary for more than 20 years. Our school is in serious need of updating to make it safer, more energy efficient and better able to meet the academic needs of our students. The 32-year-old heating system is so inefficient that our classrooms are either too hot or too cold. We have no permanent walls and few doors that can be locked during an emergency. Noise floats from room to room though all the open spaces no matter how hard we try to keep things quiet for our neighbors. Only classrooms on the perimeter of the school receive any natural light.

Plus, our school is out of room. Every day, 121 Greenacres children (K-5) are bused away to other schools. Two portable buildings have been added on the playground to house three overflow classrooms of students. I now teach in one of those portable classrooms. We have no running water and no bathroom facilities. Many times a day, in all kinds of weather, students travel back and forth to the main building. It is far from an ideal situation for student learning or safety.

With interest rates and construction costs at historic lows, today is absolutely the right time to make an investment in our children because we can get a lot of mileage from our dollars. Investing in our schools raises our property values and makes our community a desirable place to live and work.

Yes, it will cost most of us a little bit more a month. For a person living in a home valued at $150,000 the tax increase is only about $8.31 per month. Yet, that investment will positively impact thousands of our children for years to come. My students and grandchild are worth it and so is every child in Central Valley. I urge you to support our children and invest in our community by voting “yes” for the CVSD bond.

Jill Moll

Spokane Valley