It is a honor and privilege to share with you that Issue 3 passed by a margin of 59% to 41%
.
As you may know, these issues are difficult to pass in any school district, and our appreciation goes out to our resident taxpayers – THANK YOU! This means we will be able to build a new K-5 elementary school, improve safety, and maintain new and existing facilities.
Several months ago, an amazing and dedicated team of community members, parents, staff, and Board members came together to begin planning a levy campaign.
Hundreds of volunteers, led by BC parent, Jen Sherman, took ownership of the issue and brought the energy and work ethic necessary to the table to make this issue a success. I have never worked with a more dedicated, passionate, and professional team than I did over the last five months. I have always believed the strength of our district is its people – students, parents, staff, Board, and community members – and that has been evident throughout this experience. Thank you to our community and all the volunteers for their efforts. Without this outpouring of support, we would not have been able to get our message communicated at the level in which we did. Our team stayed focused and communicated a consistent, emotional message about the issues facing our elementary students and staff. We will handle this success with class and professionalism by demonstrating our commitment every single day to always do what is best for our students while balancing the needs with fiscal responsibility.
So what comes next? We will continue to roll up our sleeves and work hard teaching and supporting our students through the end of the school year. We will then take a deep breath this summer and come back ready to be even better. In the meantime, we will be working with our legal counsel and architect to develop a time table to begin the Design Phase of a new K-5 elementary school. We look forward to working with our community members, students, and staff in the Design Phase. The Design Phase takes several months and our tentative timetable is to commence construction in the Summer of 2019.
We will continue to keep our community informed throughout the process and we will provide opportunities for community input. Our schools are stronger when we keep you informed and when we work together to solve problems.
Again, we are grateful to you for supporting our students, and for making BC a special place, in which I proudly call home.
Thank you,
Shawn Haughn
Superintendent
