Approve Cheney bond

As citizens of Cheney consider whether to approve a bond to renovate Cheney High School, I think many of us wonder whether anything more than improved building security and additional classroom space is really essential. It’s a good question that deserves our careful consideration as we cast our votes.

When we think about what matters to kids, what gets them in the building so teachers can work their magic, a lot more elements of this bond project start to become equally essential: Auditorium space, for example, for those students whose passions are the performing arts; additional practice spaces so we can stand by our district’s policy of not cutting a student who wants to play a sport; enough space in the building so those awkward and tentative teens we know and love can move safely and gather socially.

Research shows graduation rates climb when kids are involved in school activities. We need every Cheney kid to graduate, and we need to give them more than classroom space to do that. We need to give them a learning community where they can thrive.

Let’s approve the Cheney High School bond.

Chris Valeo

Cheney