We attended Vashon schools K-12, and our children attended Vashon schools K-12. The facilities that we will vote on for improvement on April 25 are almost exactly the same as they were in the late 1960s when we started school. The football field’s last improvement was the now-dissolving crown in 1948. The track installed in 1969 is not up to current safety standards, therefore, Vashon High School is unable to host home track meets. McMurray, opened in 1970, is a great building, but needs maintenance help that just comes with time and use, not neglect. The current maintenance building is approaching 100 years old and is now only suitable for storage.

Our schools and facilities are the backbone of our community. A new football field and track would be a huge asset for the school and community groups as well. An all-purpose field could be used seven days a week for all manners of youth and adult events, plus saving approximately 1.5 million gallons of water a year in field maintenance. An all-weather track would allow VHS to host home track meets, plus it would give a safe walking and running venue to the community during non-school hours. Our buildings need maintenance. Painting, seismic updates, energy efficiency improvements, roofs and replacement of old desks and furniture are the basics of keeping what we have in continuous operation. The time is now. These facilities need our help, and we will never again get as much value for our dollar. The Vashon school system has been good to us and our family. We will be voting “yes” on April 25 in return for what has given us so much. We hope you will join us.

— John and Jill Yates