Overcrowding at the school is a big problem

I find it tremendously sad that I have to write this letter to the residents of the Cheney School District, when over the years, you have been consistently telling Cheney’s youth, “We believe you are important and worth the investment.” So what happened? We received 58.4 percent yes votes, just 100 votes shy of passing this high school construction bond. This is proof that every vote matters, and being close is not enough.

The situation at the high school is critical! This is a big problem that is not going away. We are already 300 students over capacity. Student enrollment projections tell us that over 150 more students will be added to the high school over the next five years, which would be 50 percent over capacity. As most of us have noticed, the quiet secret of Cheney being a great place to live is out, and we are rapidly growing. Many people come to live here because of the greatness of our schools. This is a problem that isn’t going to go away, it will only get worse as we continue to grow as a community.

If you are unsure of what is included in the bond, educate yourself. Come visit the crowded school and see if that is an environment conducive to excellence in learning.

The next school board meeting is at Salnave Elementary on Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. Attend, ask questions, and listen to the growing concerns about our high school’s overcrowding.

Let’s continue to make Cheney the amazing community many have searched for as the best place to raise our kids.

Please support our next bond and invest in our future. We need to fix our high school and send a clear message to our students that we believe in them and that they matter.

Rochelle Schoenleber

Cheney