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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 2, 2019)
OPINION A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM WEDNESDAy, OCTObER 2, 2019 Hermiston schools are full of potential E very school year in Hermiston begins with the promise of new opportunities for our students and staff. New friendships are formed, new experiences pursued, and we set out to learn new ways to suc- ceed together. It’s the Hermiston way. We’re an invit- ing and inclusive com- munity that believes in teamwork and coop- eration. We’re at our best when we’re learn- ing from one another, T ricia and our willingness to M ooney welcome everyone to COMMENT the table has spurred extraordinary growth. The school district benefits greatly from this culture as we get the opportu- nity to educate and mentor the thousands of students who walk through our doors each day. But this growth also creates the challenge of finding adequate space for everyone. These are good problems for our com- munity and our schools, but are problems nonetheless. Schools with overcrowded classrooms and congested campuses hin- der the learning process, and as a district we’re always looking for ways to remove those obstacles. When addressing these kinds of issues, the school district and board starts with a simple question: What is best for our students? Studies show an elementary school is at its most effective with an enrollment of 600 or less. It creates a stronger sense of community, and the gymnasium, caf- eteria and other communal spaces can be shared equitably. Our elementary schools Staff photo by Jade McDowell Rocky Heights Elementary School would be replace with a new, larger school on the same property if a school bond is approved by voters in November. are either right at or beyond that critical enrollment level now, and we’re feeling the strain. Each year we see an additional 50 students or more, and we know that pressure will only increase. At the high school we need the capac- ity to provide not only traditional educa- tional offerings but cutting-edge career and technical training. We simply don’t have the space in our current buildings to do that and have relied on modular class- rooms as a short-term solution. But while making payments out of our general fund to cover their lease makes sense for short- term capacity demands, it doesn’t uphold our responsibility to wisely use taxpayer dollars long-term. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Schools are the heart of the community Schools are the heart of our community. We take a great deal of pride in our schools. They’re well-maintained, well- staffed and readily available for the public use. They’re the foundation Hermiston has been built on. Now we have the opportunity to expand that foundation by approving the construc- tion of two new elementary schools and a high school annex. This will allow the schools to function how they’re supposed to — with right-sized classrooms and enough space for rapidly growing student enrollment. A new elementary school on Theater Lane and a larger Rocky Heights will alle- viate the pressure on the other four elemen- tary schools, and the extra classroom space at the high school will give our students the classroom space they need without building a second high school. Join me in supporting our Hermiston schools and approving Measure 30-130 in November. Josh Goller Hermiston Community should be prepared for growth Hermiston is an amazing place to live, and it’s obvious the secret is out. We live at the crossroads of the Pacific Northwest, a short drive to the Blue Moun- tains or Columbia River, with land perfect for growing crops of all kinds and there are friendly faces everywhere you turn. Busi- nesses continue to open here, bringing fam- ily wage jobs and growing the workforce. We value this growth and owe it to our- selves to be prepared for the families that come with it. The Hermiston School Dis- trict plays a big role in making the commu- nity an attractive place to live and has cre- ated a bond package that matches the pace of growth we’re experiencing. It’s fitting that the bond will be funded With those realities in mind, we moved on to the next question: How can we add classroom space while best serving the interests of the community and taxpayers? We listened after voters rejected the previous school bond in 2017, and with the help of a citizens’ facility commit- tee created a plan that will address our capacity needs while keeping the tax rate stable. We’ve also narrowed the scope of the bond to meet the requests of the community. Financially, we’ve aggressively bud- geted to pay off all pre-2008 bond debt so taxpayers will see a bill about $0.40 per $1,000 assessed value lower this fall. It’s our intention that this bond won’t affect that rate but will generate its revenue from the city’s growing tax base. We have had these numbers evaluated and certified by Piper Jaffray. We’ve also removed some items from the previous bond. We are no longer ask- ing to demolish and rebuild a larger High- land Hills Elementary, but instead would use the opportunity to redraw district boundaries and make the school’s enroll- ment fit its intended use. And we won’t use any portion of the bond on deferred maintenance — we’ve worked with each department to find savings to pay for all maintenance costs out of the general fund. The final package includes two new elementary schools (one to replace Rocky Heights with a 600- student school and a new 600-student school on the dis- trict’s Theater Lane property), a large multi-classroom annex at the high school, minor site improvements at elementary schools to decrease congestion, and the purchase of additional property for future development. There is also a mandate in Measure 30-130 that the district will form a citizen review panel to make sure funds are spent only on intended purposes. And as a bonus, if local voters approve the bond, the state will supply a $6.6 million matching grant. The Hermiston School District believes in being a good partner. Our role is not just providing superb education for our students, but also creating a desirable workplace for our teachers and staff and a stronger community through state-of- the-art facilities, athletic fields and cam- pus grounds. Hermiston is a great place to live, work, and raise a family, and we’re glad to be a part of it. Tricia Mooney is the superintendent of the Hermiston School District. SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR in large part by local growth in the coming years. The expanding tax base will help pay off the debt over the life of the bond. New schools will also increase the home values in nearby neighborhoods and spur further development. A strong school dis- trict leads to a more attractive city. We’ve got a good thing going in Hermis- ton, and through the support of our commu- nity the school district will continue to be a gem that makes this a prime place to raise a family. Join me in voting YES for Hermiston Schools this November. David Droztmann Hermiston Letters to the Editor is a forum for local Hermiston Herald readers to express themselves on local, state, national or world issues. brevity is good, but longer letters should be kept to 250 words. Letters must be original and signed by the writer or writers. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Only the letter writer’s name and city of residence will be published. OREGON CAPITAL INSIDER We’re investing in Salem coverage when other news organizations are cutting back. Get the inside scoop on state government and politics! Build Hermiston schools to last In 1957 I came to Hermiston to teach science at Hermiston Junior High Hav- ing lived in western Oregon I wanted to get away from the rain. I planned to stay two years. But, realizing how dedicated patrons were to their schools and how appreciative they were of teachers, I stayed. At the time I signed my contract I did not know Hermiston was the poorest school district in the state. Because of this, Herm- iston barely had enough funding for operat- ing expenses. Construction of new schools was done with the minimum standards per- mitted at the time. — completely unaccept- able by today’s standards. They all leaked. Safety was limited to getting the children quickly out of the building in the event of a fire. Unfortunately they were not built to last. Now that our tax base is near the state average, it should be expected that our schools be built to standards that will be acceptable for generations to come. There is an expression, “build it and they will come.” I have heard newcomers say they moved here because of the quality of our schools. Our good reputation will continue if you vote yes for the school bond. Carlisle Harrison Hermiston THE BEST VALUE IN WIRELESS UNLIMITED DATA /MO. /M WITH 4 LINES 1565 N. 1st St., Hermiston, 541-289-8722 Data may be temporarily slower than other traffic in times of congestion. Video streams at up to 480p (DVD quality). Credit approval and Auto Pay/Paperless Billing required. Additional terms apply. Things we want you to know: New unlimited plan and Customer Service Agreement required. New unlimited plan does not include hotspot functionality or Payback Credit. Existing customers may switch to new unlimited plans but, in most cases, any previous promotional credits requiring a Total Plan Unlimited or Unlimited Plus Plan subscription will not transfer. A Regulatory Cost Recovery Fee (RCRF) applies; this is not a tax or government required charge. 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