Now is perfect time to vote yes on levy

No child currently in our school district has ever witnessed their parents and community members approve a facilities measure to maintain or upgrade schools. I'm sure they ask themselves why students in other districts have newer schools and better equipment and why we can't have that here. Why has an entire generation of adults felt schools were not a priority and perhaps later there would be a better time?

In fact, 83 percent of Idaho schools have facilities levies or bonds (or both) in place as I write. It is as normal for those Idahoans as supporting police, fire, roads and libraries. Coeur d'Alene has collected $1,509 per $100,000 net taxable value in the last 10 years, Post Falls $1,898, Bonners Ferry $974, Lakeland $1,808, statewide average $1,428, LPOSD $0. The voters in neighboring districts, living in essentially the same economic reality we do, have lived up to their obligation to see that schools are maintained. We have chosen to defer maintenance and ignore school safety issues waiting for a better time. Inflation and decay will only make future maintenance more expensive and aging infrastructure continues to become less efficient.

Despite national news, local unemployment is near record low 4.4 percent and the economy is more diversified than ever. Inflation and interest rates are low. In fact, there may be no better time to support our school facilities.

This month every one of us is receiving an unexpected rebate from Uncle Sam that would more than cover the cost of fixing our schools should we choose to do so. What better way to stimulate the economy than to put local businesses to work bringing our schools up to safe standards and providing our kids with the classrooms they need.

Now is a perfect time to vote yes on the school facilities levy.

SCOTT R. DUNN, M.D.

Sandpoint