Keep our schools great

Fellow Islanders, I implore you to vote yes for the school bond issue this month. Our three daughters attended Mercer Island schools from kindergarten though graduation from our outstanding high school. We did not feel the need to send them to Lakeside or Overlake even though we could have paid for it because our schools were excellent and provided what each of our girls needed. They individually benefited from the gifted programs in grade school, American Studies, the Block program and the Alternative School program in high school. They were able to gain entrance to difficult colleges and excelled there. Mercer Island schools provided the best for each of them.

One of our daughters returned as a teacher at Islander Middle School where she had attended junior high. She was impressed with the excellence of the school system from the inside this time.

We are now 90 and 89 years old and have supported Mercer Island schools every time there is a vote. Our schools are great and we need to keep them great for our generations of students to come.

June Lindsey, Mercer Island

A no vote on Prop. 1 supports our students

Our kids need the best education possible, to prepare them for an increasingly uncertain future. Unfortunately, recent data suggest failure to deliver.

25% of our students do not meet grade-level science and math standards without remedial classes. In a recent district survey, fewer parents agreed with the statement: “This school is doing a good job of preparing students for a successful future.” And finally, over one-third of our students do not feel the district has prepared them for success.

This information must factor into your vote on the proposed $165,000,000 bond. This bond will not lead to better academic achievement by our students. We first need a better plan on how such money could be spent to improve achievement, not a quick “windfall” from the taxpayers leading to more waste and another call in a few years for another bond.

Vote no with your neighbors on Prop. 1.

Ada Cheung, Mercer Island

School bond and fiscal responsibility

The Mercer Island School District (MISD) Board wiped out over $7 million in operations reserves in less than three years and was headed toward insolvency in 2023. The annual deficit grew to over $2.5 million, even though the budget was enhanced by federal COVID funds by about $5 million over four years (ending 2023). The board’s solution was to “borrow” $2 million from capital levy funds.

MISD faced insolvency again in 2024, so the board “transferred” $3.75 million from the capital levy to the operations budget and “paid off” the $2 million loan, while increasing employee headcount.

Insolvency loomed again in 2025, so the board “transferred” another $5 million.

What’s this got to do with the proposed MISD capital bond? The capital levy only amounts to $8 million/year; there’s not enough left (if any) after the transfers, to do much in the way of incremental capital improvements that normally are paid from levy funds. The board now proposes to fund these smaller projects from funds from the proposed capital bond.

I didn’t see any “essential” projects proposed for the bond funds, except for upgrading the fire alarm and HVAC systems, which could be broken down into stand-alone smaller projects performed with levy funds over a few years.

I believe the fiscal irresponsibility is malfeasance and the transfer of funds from projects residents voted for to applications residents didn’t vote for is at least unethical and I will never vote for a MISD bond or levy again, unless drastic changes are made.

Dwight Schaeffer, Mercer Island

School bond misses the moment

Mercer Island voters should reject the proposed $231 million school bond. While investing in schools is important, this bond falls short — both educationally and financially.

The plan was developed with no classroom teachers on the Facilities Planning Committee (FPC), a 30-member group tasked with shaping the long-range facilities plan. No formal survey of teachers was conducted, and aside from two outreach sessions in 2023, teacher input is virtually absent from the final plan — despite their daily experience in our buildings.

Over several months, the committee reviewed four scenarios (A through D). Scenario A was the most educationally impactful, addressing elementary, middle, and high school needs. Many committee members supported it personally. But it was shelved due to concerns over political optics, particularly related to the now-abandoned idea of elementary school consolidation.

Instead, the district advanced Scenario C — the most politically viable but least beneficial to students. It completes the middle school and partially funds high school improvements, while postponing upgrades to aging elementary schools for another decade or more. Scenario C wasn’t chosen because it was best for education — it was chosen because it was more likely to pass.

Financially, the district has described the bond as $165 million, but the actual cost with interest is $231 million. If passed, Mercer Island’s per-pupil spending would rise to $21,762, making it one of the highest in the region — ahead of Bellevue, Seattle, and Issaquah — while still leaving key needs unmet.

All of this comes as the district faces serious financial challenges, including service cuts and staff layoffs. Now is not the time to approve record debt for a limited plan built around what’s politically safe.

Let’s get our financial house in order and present a truly student-centered, inclusive plan. Until then, I urge the community to vote no on this bond.

Brian Gaspar, Mercer Island

Consider more affordable bonds

As a lifelong supporter of public education, I truly care about our schools and have consistently voted for measures that genuinely benefit our children. However, I have serious concerns about the upcoming bond and its potential impact on our students.

If the bond passes, construction will begin in 2027, disrupting a cohort of kids who have already faced significant pandemic challenges. This added turmoil comes at a critical time in both middle and high school, especially when 1 in 4 MIHS students is not on track for college, according to the latest OSPI data. I find myself questioning whether the proposed projects are worth the risk of further interrupting our students’ education.

As a single mother who raised two children and struggled to make ends meet, I find it difficult to justify the expenditure of tens of millions on high-end facilities during such uncertain economic times, especially with projected declining birthrates and 500 fewer students compared to 2019. Many families, including seniors and those facing financial challenges, simply cannot afford these “nice-to-have” projects.

Finally, asking an average household for $23,000 without a clear financial breakdown feels unreasonable. For the sake of the children still recovering from pandemic learning loss, I urge my fellow residents to vote “No” on this bond. Let’s prioritize essential projects and consider smaller, more manageable, and affordable bonds so that every family can continue to support our schools.

Emily Tadlock,Mercer Island

Write to us

The Mercer Island Reporter invites you to send letters to editor@mi-reporter.com.