It takes a village

It takes a village; vote “yes” for kids on Feb. 14.

At some point, every individual in Spokane County needs to accept that this is our village and these are our kids. Your vote to maintain current school funding at a time when state and federal funding is withering is absolutely appropriate. Regardless of your personal circumstance, your vote assures the future of a young person you know or encounter.

While there is always more to do, our school staffs work hard every day to support the growth and learning of our youth. We need to continue to support them through the programs currently in place. What needs to be done cannot be done with less.

And then, let’s consider another aspect of our village. Young couples and families moving into our community look for desirable schools when they choose their new neighborhood. Good schools located in your neighborhood assure that the homes surrounding the neighborhood are filled, keeping property values at their optimum.

If we close schools because consolidation is more cost-efficient, some unfortunate neighborhood will likely wilt as homes are left vacant and property values slide.

For young families in your neighborhood, vote “yes” for kids.

Allen Kohler

Spokane