On Feb. 14 there will be a vote for the ESD 2023 Bond. Without hesitation I will be voting yes.

I am the parent of two Kibler Elementary students and I frequently volunteer. I see on a daily basis the dire need that the school is in.

My oldest daughters’ class in particular often has buckets catching rainwater that leak into the classroom. There are buckets in the halls to ensure that water doesn’t make it unsafe for students passing through.

I will not allow my girls to fill their water bottles in the classrooms in fear of what may be lurking in the pipes.

On cold days if you sit too closely to the door in the classroom you need a coat because the heating system cannot keep up with the drafts.

When we had our unseasonably hot start to the school year lights had to be kept off and teachers had to bring in fans just to keep classrooms from overheating.

This is not an environment conducive to learning. When a child is uncomfortable they are not thinking about the lesson being taught or the task at hand, they are distracted by their environment and unable to get the full potential out of their school day because they are either cold or potentially being shifted around not to get wet.

This is not to say our maintenance crews and custodians do not to the best job that they possibly can. It is simply a fact that this seventy year old school, who has seen thousands of kids come through its doors, has reached and far exceeded its lifespan.

While I hope we all can agree that Kibler needs to be replaced there are other measures in the bond that feel just as necessary. J.J. that now houses the Birth to Five center is in no better condition than Kibler is. We do know however that preschool is vital in setting up a child to be prepared for Kindergarten and we are incredibly lucky to have a program that ensures all children have the opportunity to attend.

However as a community we need to see the value in having proper facilities to house such programs. I know to many this bond is about dollars and cents and how it will affect your personal household bill. It is easy to assume that because I am a parent of children at Kibler and will be for the next eleven years that I would say yes because it directly impacts my children and my family but it is about a bigger picture. One day my children will be out of school and I hope to never lose sight of the importance of passing bonds just like this one.

You may no longer have children in the school system, you may never have had any kids in ESD but as a collective community it is important to see how the children of our community shape and impact our future.

Jennifer Wallin

Enumclaw