Vote 'yes' for the high school bond measure

I’ve lived in Cheney for more than a decade, I work at Eastern Washington University, and I have two kids in the Cheney School District.

As we consider whether or not to approve a bond to renovate Cheney High School, I think many of us find ourselves wondering whether anything more than improved building security and additional classroom space is really essential. It’s a good question, and one that deserves our careful consideration as we cast our votes.

As adults of voting age, we know it’s the knowledge and skills that students gain in the classroom that sets them up for success. We’re lucky to have award-winning teachers in our schools that do a wonderful job supporting our kids’ learning.

But when we think about what matters to kids — what gets them in the building so those teachers can work their magic — a lot more elements of this bond project start to become equally essential: an auditorium space, for example, for those students whose passions are the performing arts; additional practice spaces so we can stand by our district’s policy of not cutting a student who wants to play a sport and enough space in the building so those awkward and tentative teens we know and love can move safely and gather socially.

Abundant research shows that graduation rates climb when kids are involved in school activities. We need every Cheney kid to graduate; we need every Cheney kid to be set up for success. And we need to give them more than classroom space to do that: we need to give them a learning community where they can learn and thrive.

Let’s approve the Cheney High School Bond. Thanks for your support. 

Chris Valeo

Cheney