There are many reasons I’m voting for Dixie Budke, Del Guenther, John Helding, and Clive Prout for the Lopez school board.

They all bring considerable knowledge and experience needed to govern a school district. Budke, Guenther, and Helding all have teaching experience; Helding and Budke have extensive business and finance background; and all of them, but particularly Helding and Prout, have considerable skills and experience in group process and facilitation.

I want that kind of expertise and commitment to support and strengthen the school’s strong performance and continued growth.

I’m among the 42 percent of Lopez voters who supported last year’s school bond, and I’m disappointed that our school and community missed the opportunity the bond offered.

I appreciate the work the school board did to identify the many issues in the facilities needing attention related to safety, energy efficiency, vocational and technology education, and physical education/fitness/sports.

After studying the proposals and attending community meetings, I was impressed by the board’s hard work and skill at examining the needs and short-term and long-term financial implications; identifying appropriate designers and architects; and receiving community input.

The facility problems and needs addressed in last year’s bond haven’t gone away, and I believe the current board members seeking re-election (Budke, Guenther, Helding, and Prout) have the experience, commitment, skills, and knowledge to build on what they and we learned so the next bond proposal will meet the school’s and community’s needs.

We’ve already lost valuable time and money; I believe this team, along with the rest of the board and school administration, can lead us to the next steps efficiently and effectively.

Iris Graville

Lopez Island