School bond is worth it

The school bond that will go to the voters Sept. 6 has a high price tag, no question about it.

The question is, are our kids worth it? We think they are.

The cost is roughly $8.50 per month for a home assessed at $100,000 (after exemptions). When you consider what this means for our community, and our kids, that's a price worth paying.

With the skyrocketing cost of construction, this will never get cheaper. Yet, the plan is designed to last this community for the next 15-20 years, a solid investment in our community infrastructure and our children.

The plan is designed for the kids, that's the overriding priority of the district, and we particularly like the effort to expand the vocational-technical programs that will directly benefit the wage-earning capacity of high school graduates who don't go on to college.

It also will relieve overcrowding at other schools in the district, particularly Hacker Middle School, where the kids are crammed in like sardines.

But it also will benefit everyone on the community. The expanded gym facilities will help local non-school recreational programs, such as those run by the city recreation department. Citizens can use the indoor running track. And the possibility of getting on the cycle to host district and state tournaments is a huge economic draw that could greatly benefit the overall community.

The auditorium also is something that the community has wanted for a long time. Not only will it let all the schools have a nice place to hold their pageants and Christmas programs (much better than elementary gym floors), but it also will open up expanded opportunities for plays, concerts and other activities, such as those put on by the Mountain Home Arts Council. It will be a lot easier to draw better events with a quality facility to attract performers. And it opens up the possibility of a community theater to take advantage of the talent available locally.

This is a proposal designed to benefit our children, but which we all will be able to enjoy in one way or another.

And in the grand scheme of things, it's relatively cheap for all we're getting. Since one "no" vote counts as two "yes" votes (it requires a two-thirds majority to pass), those who care about the future of our children and our community need to make special plans to vote in the bond election.

We urge a yes vote. It will save us money and bring all of us many benefits in the long run.

-- Kelly Everitt