Cheney schools bond is a responsible plan needing approval

I am the father of two boys in the Cheney School District, writing in support of the Feb.14 bond measure in the Cheney School District. My wife and I moved to this area in large part because of the positive reputation of the district. We are fortunate to live in an area with tremendous growth and that growth comes with growing pains. Cheney has a fantastic school district and they are in need of additional space and safety measures to serve our children.

The Cheney School District has proposed a responsible plan to invest in the facilities needs for our children that will get us through the year 2028 when the current bonds for the middle schools will be paid off. A slight increase of only 59 cents per $1,000 will ensure maximum benefit to our children and keeps us in the bottom half of tax rates for school districts in our area.

As a community, we should approve this bond measure. Our children at all schools will have improved access to their local elementary schools, secure entry ways, adequate spaces for lunch and physical education classes and improved opportunities for career and technical education. Parents and community members will have access to better parking and spaces for sports and the arts.

In addition to solving today’s problems, I appreciate the school board is planning for our future by using bond dollars to purchase land to serve Cheney Public School students who live in other parts of the West Plains. Although the district is not yet big enough to support the costs associated with two high schools, with the continued growth in the West Plains, eventually one high school will not be reasonable to serve the expanse of the district.

Please vote yes to support our children on Feb. 14.

Matt Lefler

Spokane