OPINION: Anchorage parents, support the school bond

Passage of Ballot Measure 1, school bonds, is critically important for Anchorage’s future. As parents who live throughout our municipality, we hope you will vote “yes” to support a more prosperous future for Anchorage.

First, it’s important to consider that this year’s school bond is fiscally responsible. If adopted, Anchorage will be retiring more bond debt — $104 million — than we’ll be incurring for the most recent two years. In contrast, failing to pass the school bond would result in more costs as a result of leaking roofs that create even more expensive repairs throughout our schools, and inflation in materials that drive costs higher each year we delay. When it comes to school bonds, the old saying “a stitch in time saves nine” is right. Timely repairs are a fiscally responsible approach to maintaining our schools.

Second, consider the geographic scope of improvements on this year’s bond package. Here are schools that will advance if this year’s bond package passes: Alpenglow Elementary, Lake Hood Elementary, Klatt Elementary, Tyson Elementary, Scenic Park Elementary, Baxter Elementary, Ravenwood Elementary, Bear Valley Elementary, Inlet View Elementary, Spring Hill Elementary, Orion Elementary, Romig Middle, Central Middle, Chugiak High, West High, Bartlett High and Steller Secondary.

Here’s how school bonds work: This year’s bond funds construction, planning and design. As our community completes construction projects, other schools on the 6-year capital improvement plan move forward. Whether your school is in construction this year, next year, or four years from now, every single school zone has a stake in the success of school bonds passing.

Anchorage and Alaska are facing twin crises: outmigration and labor shortages. Underfunding of education for years has driven too many families to leave our state, which in turn means employers can’t fill important positions. For our economy to recover, we need to support our schools. Of course it’s critical for our state legislators to support operational funding through the Base Student Allocation, or BSA, but as local voters we have to do our part, too, by voting “yes” to pass the school bond.

Matt Fraize, Polly Carr, Cody Oatman, Kim Waller, Chris Lyou, Sara Dykstra, Khalial Withen, Rachel Barinbaum, Zoe Styron and Matt Moser are parents from Chugiak, Eagle River, South Anchorage, Midtown, downtown, East Anchorage and Turnagain.

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