Why I support the April bond and you should, too.

I avoid going out of my house between 7:30-8:05 a.m. and again between 2:15-3 p.m. Wondering why? I live in a neighborhood close enough to a middle school with extreme overcrowding and these are the start and end timings for the school. The situation is so bad that I would rather schedule my life around that time than stay stuck in traffic.

It is just one person’s dilemma, and I can’t even begin to comprehend how many students, parents, teachers and individuals are being impacted by this overcrowding. Lake Washington School District (LWSD) is one of the fastest growing school districts in Washington state, and an additional 2,000 students are expected to enroll in our school district in the next five years.

LWSD has put forward a bond proposal for the upcoming election in April. This bond is the first step in this plan, and it is designed to address the most severe overcrowding and most immediate issues with existing facilities. It will provide enough space for nearly 3,000 students and it will not raise your tax rate.

I appreciate this proposal as a parent, concerned community member and taxpayer. If you want to learn more, visit www.lwsd.org or http://vote4lwsdkids.org/. I invite LWSD voters to vote “yes” for our schools on or before April 26. Even if you don’t have kids in the school system yet or they have graduated already, please vote “yes.” The bond is not just helping students; it is helping the community in general. Help ensure the community is going in the right direction.

Farah Khurrum

Redmond