Joe Riley knows better than most the importance of the first four years of a child’s education (letter to the editor, Oct. 19, “It’s time to approve SK’s school bond, levy”). It is one of the most accurate predictors of graduation success.

Joe also likely is aware of how vulnerable his students and many in the other nine grade schools are because of 30 to 40 portable classrooms. The bond does nothing for our most vulnerable to get them out of harm’s way into secure one-entry safe buildings. The bond does nothing for future growth in the K-5 where the class size is the smallest. Also on the horizon is a push for pre-kindergarten. The new housing starts will bring young families with young children.

I am tired of seeing propaganda that continues to say “no new tax” when local and state collections are the highest in history. The local rollback, if it occurs, does not roll back the state tax increase or other huge tax increases for county, fire [services], etc.

Our existing high school is very capable of housing students and adding capacity without disruption.

Chris Lemke

Port Orchard