The Port Orchard Independent enthusiastically endorses the South Kitsap School District’s Feb. 9 bond measure to build a second high school and fund technology improvements at South Kitsap High.
Passage of this bond will fund $124.99 million of the costs for a second high school building and provide $2 million in technology upgrades at South Kitsap High. It’s a worthy, if overdue, necessity for our community.
A vibrant, innovative and technologically current school district isn’t just a “must” for school-age children. It’s also essential for healthy communities to grow business and community amenities. That needs to be on the community checklist for Port Orchard and the southern part of Kitsap County.
South Kitsap is a growing school district that anticipates a healthy increase to its 9,800 student population in the near term. The current high school is the largest in the state — hardly a distinction of which to be proud. Partnership offers from industry giants in the technology and manufacturing fields, include one from Boeing, have had to be declined, according to Superintendent Michelle Reid. South Kitsap High just can’t accommodate those proposed programs and partnerships: There’s too little room and not enough technology tools.
Economic growth in South Kitsap favors a “yes” vote. Our region is picking itself up after the Great Recession and a sluggish recovery. New families have begun moving to the area to escape a King County housing market where modest homes once owned by middle-class families now fetch nearly $1 million in some metro Seattle areas. Demographic trends show a boom in children entering schools nationwide. All of those factors point to more students attending our own schools in South Kitsap.
A second high school is the vital linchpin to South Kitsap’s efforts to provide students access to additional educational offerings — most of them STEM-related. STEM, for those who don’t know, refers to educational programs that focus on science, technology, engineering and math curriculum. STEM course offerings are helping to meet a critical need in the technology-driven marketplace, especially here in the Puget Sound region. Think Boeing, Microsoft and Amazon, for starters. Our district’s students deserve that opportunity.
The bond measure has been structured so that funds will be judiciously used to build an energy-efficient, up-to-date and no-frills building for up to 1,800 students that is designed to optimize teaching STEM-related subjects.
Let’s make the correct decision for our children and community. Remember the old adage that if you want to learn the viability of a town? Just drive by their schools.
It’s our choice. Before checking the box on your voter’s ballot, remember this: neglect our school system at the community’s peril.
T
he Port Orchard Independent enthusiastically endorses the South Kitsap School District’s Feb. 9 bond measure to build a second high school and fund technology improvements at South Kitsap High.
Passage of this bond will fund $124.99 million of the costs for a second high school building and provide $2 million in technology upgrades at South Kitsap High. It’s a worthy, if overdue, necessity for our community.
A vibrant, innovative and technologically current school district isn’t just a “must” for school-age children. It’s also essential for healthy communities to grow business and community amenities. That needs to be on the community checklist for Port Orchard and the southern part of Kitsap County.
South Kitsap is a growing school district that anticipates a healthy increase to its 9,800 student population in the near term. The current high school is the largest in the state — hardly a distinction of which to be proud. Partnership offers from industry giants in the technology and manufacturing fields, include one from Boeing, have had to be declined, according to Superintendent Michelle Reid. South Kitsap High just can’t accommodate those proposed programs and partnerships: There’s too little room and not enough technology tools.
Economic growth in South Kitsap favors a “yes” vote. Our region is picking itself up after the Great Recession and a sluggish recovery. New families have begun moving to the area to escape a King County housing market where modest homes once owned by middle-class families now fetch nearly $1 million in some metro Seattle areas. Demographic trends show a boom in children entering schools nationwide. All of those factors point to more students attending our own schools in South Kitsap.
A second high school is the vital linchpin to South Kitsap’s efforts to provide students access to additional educational offerings — most of them STEM-related. STEM, for those who don’t know, refers to educational programs that focus on science, technology, engineering and math curriculum. STEM course offerings are helping to meet a critical need in the technology-driven marketplace, especially here in the Puget Sound region. Think Boeing, Microsoft and Amazon, for starters. Our district’s students deserve that opportunity.
The bond measure has been structured so that funds will be judiciously used to build an energy-efficient, up-to-date and no-frills building for up to 1,800 students that is designed to optimize teaching STEM-related subjects.
Let’s make the correct decision for our children and community. Remember the old adage that if you want to learn the viability of a town? Just drive by their schools.
It’s our choice. Before checking the box on your voter’s ballot, remember this: neglect our school system at the community’s peril.
