I support the school bond. Aside from providing a much-needed track and year-round playing surface for field sports, it allows more of our operating budget to be spent on education and less on maintenance.

Some might ask why support this bond instead of raising money that directly funds our classrooms. The answer is Washington state limits the amount each district can raise to support ongoing operations. Ongoing operations, which include maintenance and teacher salaries, is funded from the district’s general fund. School districts are allowed to supplement funding through the use of levies, but the levies are capped. Vashon’s cap is 28.88 percent of the general fund.

School districts use bonds to raise money for larger projects. Bonds cannot be used for ongoing operations, but a bond can provide facilities that are less expensive to maintain, thus making the general fund go further. If the bond does not pass, then urgent upgrades and repairs must be paid for by the general fund.

The football field and track are long overdue for replacement. The current track is unusable, and the field is available less than 50 days per year. A turf field is more expensive to install than grass, but it’s much cheaper to maintain. Several teams can share space on a turf field, reducing wear on other grass fields. This is especially important in fall when high traffic areas are worn bare from overuse. Estimates to maintain a grass field range from $40,000 to $80,000 per year. A turf fields would reduce this cost by as much as 70 percent.

Passing this bond will provide the community with high- quality, low-maintenance facilities and make our education dollars go further.

— Glynis and Kevin Delargy