• I’m a Lake Washington School District (LWSD) parent, and I’m supporting the school district bond that will come before voters on April 26.

For the bond to pass it requires a minimum of 40 percent registered voters who cast ballots in the last general election to vote, and a 60 percent “yes” vote.

As a permanent resident awaiting citizenship, I pay residential taxes for local government services, but I am unable to vote. As I look at the demographics in our rapidly growing school district today, I believe a significant proportion of the LWSD parents are in this same situation (about 25 percent population in Redmond are non-citizens).

In light of this, for a successful bond, we need every eligible voter who supports the bond, to cast a ballot and vote “yes.” Because if you assume the 60 percent “yes” vote will be attained from school parent volunteers, who understand the need for the bond incontrovertibly, you may be miscalculating, because a large percentage of us can’t vote.

Please vote “yes” for our children and schools.

Alice O’Brien

Redmond

• As a 33-year resident and parent living on a fixed income on Education Hill, my wife and I had a hard time stomaching the $1 billion 2014 combined school bond measures — even if it meant our house would increase in value. We were very concerned about our property taxes drastically going up and the district’s record of building posh schools. Of course, our schools were seriously overcrowded in 2014. Today, overcrowding has reached crisis levels.

When Superintendent Traci Pierce announced the $398 million April 2016 bond measure, we found it digestible and our concerns about property taxes and expensive schools were addressed, as follows: 1) The measure will maintain 2015 tax rates! 2) Seven principles for designing practical, cost-effective schools will be implemented. And yes, the severe overcrowding will be tackled by building three new schools with increased capacity AND rebuilds/enlargements at Juanita High School and Mead and Kirkland elementary schools — all for the price of $398 million.

Eric Campbell — a Kirkland parent and developer — described the district’s seven principles for building practical, cost-effective schools at a recent Education Hill neighborhood meeting. Some of the highlights: 1) the district will save money by eliminating or minimizing one-story designs; 2) aesthetics will be pleasing, but not based on award-winning architectural designs; and 3) buildings will be designed in a more compact manner i.e box/cube. New schools will be cost effective and practical while providing teachers and students the space they need to learn and thrive!

If you’d like an added “push” this April, the measure calls for a new elementary school in north Redmond that is expected to reduce morning and dismissal traffic congestion on 166th Avenue Northeast (since many of the Rockwell Elementary students will go to the new school). Also, if the proposed middle school on Redmond Ridge is built, some traffic mitigation is likely on the Avondale Road corridor.

Please vote FOR the April 2016 bond measure!

Bob Yoder

Redmond

• On April 26, voters in the Lake Washington School District (LWSD) will have the opportunity to make a quantum improvement in their schools. A “yes” vote not only keeps the comparatively low levy rate the same, but improves the facilities and structure of the schools.

There is also a benefit to the homeowners in this. I live in the small part of Redmond inside the Bellevue School District (BSD) where five of the top seven ranked high schools in Western Washington are in the BSD. Years ago before the big boom in commercial property helped reduce our levy amounts, the voters committed to excellent schools and bearing the cost. Also, according to a respected expert in local real estate, my house in the BSD is worth 20 percent more than comparable homes in the LWSD. If you won’t do it for your kids, do it for yourself. Vote “yes” for Lake Washington schools by April 26.

Hank Myers

Redmond City Council member