By Brenda Sexton

The Courier-Herald

There is no better time to run a school bond and take care of a host of nagging construction needs, say organizers of the Committee to Support the Issues.

The group, chaired by Trip Hart and Mike Runland, will oversee the Enumclaw School District's campaign to pass a $42.9 million bond to build a new J.J. Smith Elementary School and remodel many other district facilities.

The committee held its first two meetings last week and plans to meet from 7 to 9 p.m. every Wednesday at the KeyBank community room in Enumclaw. Community members interested in joining the team or who are just interested in more information about the bond issue are invited to attend.

"The key is teaching the public this really makes sense from a saving money point-of-view," Hart said. "It's a golden opportunity."

With interest rates at record lows and a favorable bid climate, the school board recently decided to place the bond on the May 20 ballot.

"The district can save a considerable amount of money," Hart said. This is a unique period of time the district may not see again, providing the school system the opportunity to accomplish a significant amount of work with a reasonable amount of money, Hart said.

"That's why it's so important to do the project and so critical to do it now," he said.

To help get the word out, the committee plans to establish a Web site for information. The group is also looking at taking its campaign to each individual school through groups like the PTA. And right off the bat, the Committee to Support the Issues will be out registering voters before the April 20 deadline.