To “conform” or to “transform”? For voters in the Lake Washington School District (LWSD), this is our decision.

As citizens, taxpayers and parents in the LWSD, we have a critical decision to make for our community. Several school construction bonds on previous ballots were not passed by voters. In the April 2014 proposal, less than 20 percent of precincts voted to pass the bond. Having spent time with those who rejected previous bonds, I can sincerely empathize with their position. However, as a result of these failures, we are now in a position where incredible prosperity in our communities and corresponding growth in the count of students cannot be met by capacity in our schools. We are out of space, and our classrooms are overcrowded. Imagine how we as adults would learn in a setting that is loud and crowded. A Cornell study even linked overcrowding in the classroom and life to learned helplessness and increased stress. I can’t imagine this is a result anyone wants as we develop the future leaders in our society.

It is vital we elect new leadership to our School Board. We need leaders who will collaborate across constituent groups to bring a bond proposal to voters that gives our kids a learning environment where they have space to learn and reach their full potential, but at a cost taxpayers deem fiscally responsible and reasonable.

It has been said that LWSD’s test scores are a result of the incumbent School Board members. This may be true, but I also believe our test scores and results speak for the excellence of our teachers, school principals, students and parents. If we fail another bond proposal, we will have to enact alternative solutions to house our students. These alternatives will negatively impact our ability to attract and retain top teaching talent, the first domino to fall in our fragile district ecosystem.

I want to thank the incumbents for their investment on behalf of our kids, but as I cannot support complacency, I will be voting for Eric Laliberte and Rob Tepper this November. Their fresh perspective and leadership will improve engagement across the community, and bring a winning bond proposal to the ballot. As Lincoln once stated, “The best way to predict the future is to create it” and it’s our chance to transform and start now.

Martha DeAmicis

Redmond