In an effort to provide the Lopez and Decatur communities with opportunities to learn more about the upcoming capital projects bond request on the November ballot, the Lopez School will host public forums and presentations as well as two opportunities to tour the Lopez School and campus. School officials are continuing to share about the bond with as many community service organizations and other groups as they can schedule.

School officials have scheduled two public forums at the Lopez Community Center for the Arts on Oct. 8 and 15, at 5:30 p.m., to further inform the public about the revised bond, and to answer questions about the capital projects it will fund.

On Oct. 4 and 18, Lopez School will be open from 10 a.m. – noon for guided tours of the school and campus, to see firsthand some of the facility needs the district hopes to address with the passage of the November bond request.

The Lopez School Board will also be providing time at its regular board meeting on October 28 for public discussion and input regarding the bond. The board meeting begins at 6 p.m., in the Lopez School Library.

The bond request the district is making will provide $9.6 million for critical upgrades and renovations to the Lopez and Decatur school facilities to bring them up to safety, health, and education standards. At approximately 40 percent overall reduction from the district’s previous unsuccessful request, district officials have responded to the large amount of community input they have sought and received, by significantly paring down and eliminating project components that voters indicated were of concern.

“While less funding than before,” said Superintendent Bill Evans, “The current requested amount of $9.6 million will allow us to go after some critical needs. We appreciate the support the community has always shown for the safety, health and education of our young people.”

Not only will the district be addressing long-term sustainability of its facilities, but by focusing on critical maintenance and utility needs the district will be able to redirect money to learning and teaching that is currently having to be used for maintenance needs and paying for significantly larger utility bills than most districts of Lopez School size.

For further information about the Lopez School November bond request, readers are encouraged to attend any of the community presentations or contact Superintendent Bill Evans at 468-2202 or bevans@lopez.k12.wa.us.