What we tax ourselves for and how we spend those tax dollars are an expression of our values as a community. I no longer have a child in school, but I still see education as a core value of the community I want to live in.

The Lake Washington School District (LWSD) has placed two levies and a bond on the ballot. While the state has made a commitment to fund basic education, what LWSD currently provides is more than just the basics, and that’s what I as a community member want to see.

Our school district has been growing by an average of 700 students per year over the last 10 years, and in order to keep providing a quality education to every student who walks in the door, the expiring operations and capital projects levies must be replaced. Every student needs a classroom as well, and the bond will build new schools and rebuild and enlarge aging overcrowded schools.

I urge you to send in your ballot by Feb. 13 and vote “yes” on propositions 1, 2 and 3.

Sherri Nichols

Redmond