As longtime residents of Camas, we have been very fortunate to have had both our daughters attend Camas schools from kindergarten thru graduation at Camas High School.
It has been the continual improvements to both the physical facilities and the quality of the teachers and academic selection that have provided them with a solid foundation and opportunity to attend the college of their choice.
We have witnessed a tremendous population growth in the last 27 years and are quite impressed with how the Camas School District has done everything under the sun in the way of bonds and levies to keep up with this growth and improve the quality of education simultaneously. It is critical at this juncture in our community’s success to do whatever we can to make sure that the 2016 CSD bond passes with flying colors. The schools are bulging at the seams.
As empty nesters, our children will not benefit from the improvements to our schools that are proposed in the bond; however, as an active past and present volunteer in the community what is good for our kids is good for us. If we as a community continue to improve the primary and secondary educational systems, it is a win-win for everyone. And the bonus to that is that we all get to use some of the facility improvements recommended in this bond with the arts, physical activity and, of course, decreasing the traffic jams that we all get caught in after school.
Finally, this has been a fantastic place to raise our kids and both Margaret and I feel very strongly that the education our kids received was a huge contributor to their individual growth and maturity, we owe the schools a lot. Great memories too – watching Mike Nerland as principal of Lacamas Heights getting hit by water balloons because the Lacamas kids had surpassed their reading goals, walking around in NASA space outfits in fourth grade, my daughter’s soccer team winning the state soccer championship, many Halloween carnivals at Lacamas and most importantly, my girls coming home from school saying what fantastic teachers they have had at all levels of their education and learning so much.
I urge all the voters, young and old, get out there and support the bond on Feb. 9.
Bill Stulbarg, Camas