To the editor:

Voting YES on the Bainbridge Island School District capital bond on Feb 9, 2016 is a smart investment in our future as a community for many reasons.

Not only will we be providing proper funding for the maintenance of ALL schools with a portion of the capital fund (more than $12 million), we will also be replacing another elementary building that’s failing terribly as a structure (Blakely), while also providing a 21st Century facility at BHS where career, technology and arts programming can flourish (new 100 Building).

This bond will further allow BHS to improve our special education programming for our students who need our support and investment the most. Beyond the obvious benefits directly to our programs and courses offered at BHS, a new state-of-the-art auditorium will enrich our school and community in more ways than I could ever list here in a letter!

Since arriving at BHS, I have attended regional educator summits and conferences around the Puget Sound with teams of students and staff. Each host school’s community benefited greatly from the financial windfall of having visitors utilizing their hotels, restaurants and shops as teachers, students and administrators stayed in the area during the events. We can’t host events like this on Bainbridge Island right now. We simply do not have the proper auditorium and complete campus to do so at BHS.

While at two of these events, I was directly asked by organizers if BHS would ever consider hosting as many educators, students and professionals would love to visit the island and receive training from one of the top instructional staffs in our state. I had to tell them, “I’m sorry — we simply can’t. We don’t have the facilities to do so.”

Now is the time to say yes — we can do it! Let’s invest in our schools and improve our ability to provide opportunities in programs where every student and community member benefits.

Vote yes for our schools, our future on Feb 9.

DUANE FISH

Principal, BHS