In recent months, the school board has begun talks about the new capital facilities bond to help pay for the maintenance of the district’s three schools and improve the athletic facilities at the high school. Some community members have since become skeptical and voiced opposition to another property tax increase. Critics came out of the woodwork at meetings and the open forum earlier this month and began questioning why the facilities being proposed are necessary and why the community should be asked to foot the bill.

The Vashon Island School District board is in the midst of holding a series of public forums in hopes of answering the public’s questions and explaining why the district found each of the expenses necessary. Last Wednesday, the board kicked off the effort, and members were met by roughly 12 attendees, of which about half were district employees or coaches.

My question to the community is where were all the concerned citizens? With residents at the school board’s candidate forum and Thursday meetings talking about needing justification for the projects and the money being proposed to be spent, why were there not more islanders at the meeting?

One resident showed up at the meeting for five minutes and asked the board to consider those on fixed incomes, those most affected by the tax increase of roughly $1 per day. Once she left, the room consisted of VHS principal Danny Rock, two teachers from the district’s alternative education programs, three VHS track-and-field alumni and a smattering of citizens who remained mostly quiet throughout the hourlong presentation.

This is your chance, Vashon, your chance to ask the hard questions and listen to the board’s answers about why it believes the projects you could be paying for are necessary. Open government and accountability are qualities that are sought after in our community’s leaders, but the concepts are two-way streets. The board is making its attempt to reach out and gather opinions, but unless islanders take advantage of the effort, it will be all for naught.

It is very easy to stand on the sidelines and question or criticize why a decision is being made. It’s a lot more difficult to actually attend a meeting or ask questions and get the facts and opinions from those who will make the decisions. There’s still time. The outreach events will continue through November, and the board will make itself available to questions before the decision about what to put on the ballot is made on Nov. 19.

Support the effort being made to educate, and make your voice heard to those who need to hear it.