Expected growth means more in already crowded schools

I have lived in the Central Valley School District for 12 years. My three children attend Liberty Lake Elementary with a student population of more than 700.

The eastern end of the district has been growing rapidly and will continue to as more homes are built. Greenacres, Sunrise, Progress and Liberty Lake elementary schools are all near or at capacity. Adams Elementary is getting close to full.

If you were to look at a map of the 80-square-mile CVSD area you would see that there are just two elementary schools east of Sullivan, which geographically consists of almost half of the district land. Greenacres Middle School is at capacity. There are simply not enough schools in the eastern end of the district to house our current students, let alone the impact of new students new developments will bring.

Some people support busing students to schools with available space. Chester and Ponderosa elementary schools, in the southwest corner of our district, are the only two schools in the district that can accommodate several classrooms of students, meaning they could physically accommodate an entire classroom of one grade level. Other schools have empty seats in varied classrooms. So yes we could bus out a classroom of kids to another school. But other students would randomly end up in various classrooms and schools throughout the district.

My argument would be, is it a realistic expectation to bus kids from Liberty Lake and Greenacres (or any school for that matter) 10 to 12 miles with a 20- to 30-minute commute in a car to an available school. Would you want your child or grandchild to have this experience? How about when your child forgets a textbook and now you face a 20-minute drive to school to retrieve it rather than five or 10?

Some people support adjusting elementary school attendance boundaries. Since most of the available classrooms are at the far southwest end of the district, a boundary revision to utilize that empty space and shift children west could possibly mean adjusting many elementary school attendance boundaries, so there is as chance your child may not attend the school they have been attending.

Perhaps there is available space in our district to move the children around without building new schools. But the reality is that our student population will only increase as the eastern end of the district continues to be developed. New homes will most certainly have children in them.

And as empty nesters downsize we can anticipate new younger families moving into our established neighborhoods throughout the district. Our district only has so many available desks in its classrooms for students and what do we do when they are full?

We have to think forward and beyond next year and the year after that. We need buildings to house our student population. We also need to consider the importance of remodeling Opportunity, Ponderosa and Greenacres Elementary schools; improving infrastructure; upgrading technology; and installing cooling systems at Broadway, Chester, Progress, Sunrise, University and Summit.

These remodels and improvements help to create a balance in which all our children attend schools that can provide them with the best learning experience. It is up to all of us to pass this bond.

“Why me,” you ask? I don’t have children. You may someday, and you may reside in CVSD, and they may benefit from the schools you helped build, as did mine.

“Why me. My children are all grown up?” The citizens of this district voted to provide a place for your children to attend school and now you should continue in their success and do the same.

I can’t afford the additional $5 per month on my $100,000 home or the $10 per month on my $200,000 home. The answer is you can’t afford not to. For a latte and muffin a month or a pizza dinner per month, you can provide an environment in which all children can attend a school in their own neighborhood.

In return for your investment you get to live in a community that takes pride in the future of our children. Rest assured when it’s time to sell your home there will be people out there looking for a home in a great community, with an awesome neighborhood school for their children to attend. We can’t afford to not vote yes for the bond…where will our children go to school?