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Clear skies. Low 51F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph..

Clear skies. Low 51F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.

Serving Sun Valley, Ketchum, Hailey, Bellevue and Carey

As a former teacher I know well that what students bring to a classroom significantly contributes to their learning. However, what they learn, how they learn, and in what environment they learn matters as well. Safe and healthy learning environments should concern us all. That is why I will be voting “yes” to Blaine County School District’s much-needed Plant Facilities Levy on Tuesday, Aug. 30.

In 2021, after a year-long process, Design West Architecture identified serious infrastructure problems in each school building (see District website spreadsheets for details). Ultimately prioritized in the “BCSD Projected Facilities Improvements 2023-2027,” 60 repairs and updates to existing structures were approved by our local school board earlier this year. Such projects would be conducted over the next five years in each of our eight schools, in addition to the Community Campus.

According to the district website, the list of improvements that would occur over the next few years at various schools include replacing intake air units with Energy Recovery Units, replacing HVAC heat pumps, adding ADA door openers with compliant ramps, roof replacements, installing LED lighting, a new track for Carey, replacing boilers at WRHS and repairing/resurfacing its tennis courts, as well as installing a dust collection system in the Residential Construction Academy at the Community Campus. The website with all projected improvements includes a breakdown of projects per school per year.

The energy-saving systems needed by our schools are worth my investment as a taxpayer. I easily figured out how an approved levy would affect my property tax bill using the calculator found in the FAQ section of the Plant Facilities Levy on the District website.

These improvements to our school infrastructures are necessary for the health and safety of our students, staff, and community. Please support this important levy with me.

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If facilites mattered as much as you and others claim, prior generations would all have been dunces and the current ones geniuses. Even though, the use of the terms in both cases is hyperbole in a lesser degree this is very true!

Let me give you and example. Spring and late summer in East came and and with it hot and humid weather. There was no air conditioning, so the windows were opened and true learning continued. There were no cafeterias. Kids carried their lunch or waliked home for one and learning continued.

There were in many cases no school library. Most or all the studends could read and do math, name the first President, tell you where Moscow was located, and could tell you what a mammal was.

It is not that facilites do not matter at all. However, problems in education lie in other places and number one it is with that union member who stands in front of the class and two the person or persons who sends the child off and undisciplined child to school each morning often without a breakfast and surely not a packed lunch.

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