Cities change, schools need to change with them. Vote yes on USD 259 bond. | Opinion

I would like to encourage all voters to vote “YES” on the school bond issue for USD 259 in the Feb. 25 special election.

The Wichita Board of Education has done an excellent job in researching and assessing the facility needs for USD 259.

This is a responsibility of the local school board to be fiscally responsible to the taxpayers of USD 259.

Unused and out-of-date facilities are a drain on the budget.

When money is either being used by the board on facilities that need extensive repair or the whole building is not being used, that is not efficient economically.

Sometimes, as in this case, facilities are not in the right location for the student population.

Cities change over time.

Look at your own area. Does it look like it did 10 years ago?

The opponents of the bond issue say money should be spent on outcomes.

I believe this is what the USD 259 local board is trying to achieve.

Passage of this bond issue means that inadequate facilities will not be draining the budget, and that will give the school district the ability to use those dollars to achieve better learning opportunities.

The board has figured out a way to close and improve facilities while not increasing your property taxes.

This will free up money for educational programs.

What a win-win for our students.

We need to stop listening to the naysayers.

They are trying to use scare tactics to ruin our public education system.

Negatisim destroys.

Not all property taxes are bad, some actually are investments in the future — our children.

Invest in the children of Wichita, Invest in the future of Wichita.

Vote “Yes” for USD 259 bond issue.

This story was originally published February 18, 2025 at 2:56 PM.