Real estate brokers support our schools | Letters | April 10

Published 5:05 pm Thursday, April 9, 2009

We are a group of Bainbridge Island real estate brokers who support the May 19 Bainbridge Island School District bond issue. The bond will replace Wilkes Elementary School and make needed upgrades and repairs to the other schools on the Island. As real estate brokers, we see many reasons to support the bond:

1. Good schools are why people move here. If we’ve heard it once, we’ve heard it a thousand times: “How are the schools?”

In our collective experience, the high-quality schools is one of the main reasons homebuyers choose Bainbridge Island over other locations in the region.

Studies from the National Association of Realtors repeatedly confirm that quality schools play a major role in the homebuying decision. We need to pass this Bond to maintain this edge and keep Bainbridge as desirable as it is now, especially in this economy.

2. Good schools help stabilize property values. Study after study shows a direct link between high quality public schools and stable home values in a community. If a community has high quality schools, more people will want to live there, and as a result, property values will remain more stable.

This is especially important in this economic environment. No matter how nice your home might be, it will be worth less if the community does not support its schools

3. It’s not going to increase school bond property taxes. A major feature of the bond is that it will not increase school bond property taxes because previously approved bonded debt will be retired.

This means that the property taxes bill for schools will not go up. For what we’re paying right now, we will get a new elementary school in the North End and needed and overdue upgrades to the other facilities.

Plus, the current economic situation means that borrowing and construction costs will be lower than when the economy is strong. We’ll get more “bang for our buck” than at any other time.

4. Our schools are what makes Bainbridge Bainbridge. We’re proud of our schools and it shows.

Chances are you either have children in them, know somebody who does, or maybe even know a teacher or administrator.

Maybe you saw the BHS basketball team beat Rainier Beach in overtime or noticed that the BHS and Woodward chess teams both won state championships this year.

Maybe you heard that three Ordway fourth graders are finalists in Letters About Literature, a national reading and writing program. Or that three BHS seniors took first place in the Web Development competition for Future Business Leaders of America.

Maybe you read a recent article describing the BHS debate team, which has won all but one debate tournament this year.

The community stepped up to improve the middle schools several years ago and the high school most recently. Now it’s time to step up and support the remaining schools, to keep the good news coming.

As real estate brokers, we strongly urge the citizens of Bainbridge Island to vote “yes” on May 19. For no more than we’re currently paying, we’ll get a new school, needed upgrades and more stable home values.

Vicki Browning,

Coldwell Banker McKenzie