Not in the foreseeable future will construction costs be as low as they are right now. Now is the time to build in order to get the most for our money. But do we need new buildings? Our schools were built in the 1950s. Schools, as well as most other building types, have a useful life of 50 years. Do the math. These buildings have served our community well and we have so many wonderful memories associated with all of the existing buildings.

But the buildings are beyond their useful lives. Oh, they still look pretty good from the 1990s remodels, but scratch the surface and you’ll see many Band-Aid fixes just to make them operational. The music rooms and classrooms are inadequate. The kitchens and common areas for lunch and assemblies are substandard. The elementary schools don’t even have dedicated art rooms. Integration of current technology is woefully lacking. New buildings are the right solution. Now is the right time. Vote yes for schools on April 17.

Alan Davis, architect