I support the Hermiston School District’s bond to build/replace three elementary schools, add to the high school and update Sandstone Middle School.

I was a member of the School District’s facility master planning committee and later a member of the citizen review committee. We spent months and months reviewing reports, data, and opinions from experts before making recommendations to the Hermiston School Board. Therefore, I fully understand the immediate need of our school district and how this bond levy will positively affect our community.

There has been much said by others about why this levy is needed: the district’s large student enrollment growth, fixing student safety issues, and need to repair/update aging infrastructure. Hermiston also gets a large positive economic impact, not only during the time of building but a lasting benefit from use of these facilities through activities in the future. Any combination of these would likely justify what is being requested but when all are combined, from my perspective, the decision to support this bond levy becomes easy.

My support is not only based on the above, but what I learned from my 90-year-old mother in 2008 when the Hermiston School District last requested funding. I asked if she was supportive and with no hesitation, she said yes. She went on to say others had supported and provided facilities used by her kids and now it was her turn to support those who had children in school.

She obviously was on a fixed income but clearly understood her obligation as well as the value of having adequate facilities to support education. While all of my children have long since graduated from the Hermiston High School, I like and agree with what my mother said.

Let’s be honest, a $100-plus million bond is a lot of money, but understand if we do not approve this bond next month, there still will be an immediate need that continues to grow. Either way we will have to provide these schools. Will it be today or tomorrow? The longer we put this off the more expensive these projects become and the further behind we get in providing the facilities needed for Oregon’s second-fastest-growing school district.

Therefore, for these reasons and more, I will vote yes to support the bond for the Hermiston School District and hope that you will also join me in doing so.

Phil Hamm

Hermiston