Mercer Island schools are excellent, but the buildings are aging. The proposed bond funds: $100M for Islander Middle School (built 1958) to unify 19 classrooms and 8 labs under one roof, providing a single, secure point of entry, and creating a new multi-use performing arts space. $64M for Mercer Island High School (1957), for replacing the failing HVAC, updating older classrooms, and upgrading the radio station and robotics lab. $1M to develop a capital improvement plan for 3 elementary schools: Lakeridge (1953), Island Park (1956) and West Mercer (1964).

Mercer Island School District developed the bond measure with extensive input from an outside architectural firm that has worked with MISD for over 20 years, and two years of planning with the Long-Term Facilities Planning Committee across six meetings, and three public hearings. Our elected School Board voted unanimously 5-0 to approve this modest sized capital project plan, the smallest of the options proposed by the planning committee.

While we may disagree on short-term funding priorities for current students’ needs, we should all want our kids to reach their full potential. As adults, we have an obligation to provide our students with basic necessities like secure learning spaces, temperature controlled classrooms, flushing toilets, and working fire alarm systems so they can focus on their education. Creating new classrooms, for modern teaching methods, laboratories, and makerspaces that advance the study of robotics, artificial intelligence, and entrepreneurship will give our kids the toolkit they need to create a better future.

Mercer Island schools have been instrumental in educating many generations of thoughtful, well-rounded, and engaged community members. Today’s students are learning not only the classroom skills – math, science, arts, and literature – needed to thrive in the 21st century workforce, they are also taught to think critically and feel empathetically.

Critical thinking isn’t a skill reserved for our kids. The same vocal minority opposing the bond are obfuscating the bond cost. Don’t rely on any campaign or even the school district to tell you how to do basic math. All you need is an elementary understanding of division and decimals. Look up the 2025 King County Tax Rate for Mercer Island – 6.54 per thousand. Find the proposed school district bond increase – 0.45 per thousand. Take 0.45 and divide by 6.54 and you get 0.0688 or a 6.88% tax increase if the bond passes. Mercer Island school taxes are currently 20-60% lower than neighboring Eastside school districts, both in total dollars and per student. After bond passage, they remain the lowest. Total bond funding will not increase with higher property values in the future; as property values rise and more properties are built, individual tax rates may decrease. Don’t take our word for it; do this calculation yourself!

There are those who would disparage the dedication of our teachers and perseverance of our students in their learning recovery from the pandemic school closures in order to deny our children critical infrastructure updates. MISD kids have regained math and literacy skills at twice the national rate, surpassing the pre-pandemic average proficiency scores by grade level. Our high school seniors are matriculating to dozens of nationally and internationally acclaimed universities. 93% of last year’s graduating class attend college, belying the criticism that they are unprepared. And our extracurricular clubs are winning prestigious national competitions in broadcast journalism, robotics, sports, and music. These achievements are a testament to the commitment of our teaching staff and the resilience of our kids. If they can accomplish this much in drafty buildings and dilapidated classrooms, imagine what heights these brilliant scholars can attain in modern facilities.

We are parents, engineers, scientists, and writers who have studied this bond proposal and believe that it addresses the most critical needs of IMS and MIHS. These capital improvements are the fiscally responsible way to manage planned updates before they become costly emergencies. Construction costs and materials are estimated to rise by more than 8% per year. If this bond fails, these updates will still need to be done, they will just cost more later.

Most importantly, we are your neighbors who want to invest in our community and in our schools. We recognize the strong connection between excellent schools and excellent property values. We also greatly benefitted from the high quality teachers and reliable educational facilities that past generations bestowed upon us, and it behooves us to enhance these community assets for future generations of Mercer Island students. We encourage you to vote Yes.

Learn more at www.yesmischools.org

Stephen Yu, Meghan Banta and Julie Hsieh represent Citizens for MI Public Schools.