I’m a Lake Washington School District (LWSD) parent, and I’m supporting the school district bond that will come before voters on April 26.

One of the things I love so much about being a citizen of Kirkland is our commitment to investing in our community. Our vibrant downtown, beautiful public spaces and well maintained parks demonstrate how much we care about quality of life for our residents. I can think of no better investment our community can make than maintaining the ability to provide a quality education to our children.

Our district is one of the fastest growing in the state, increasing by over 3,000 students over the past five years. Our schools are strained by these additional students, and the district has been forced to cope with this growth using portables, which is not a long-term solution. In fact, by next school year there will be 168 portables across the district, which is the equivalent of the classroom space in seven elementary schools. The use of portables allows the school to accommodate additional students, but creates strain on shared spaces like gyms, labs and lunchrooms, which were designed to be used by far fewer students. My elementary-aged kids eat lunch in their classrooms every day, which I find deplorable.

By passing this bond, we’ll be able to add desperately needed classroom space so our students have the best learning environment possible. Best of all, these enhancements will be achieved without raising our tax rate. LWSD has created a plan that addresses our schools’ most urgent needs while keeping the cost to taxpayers low.

Join me in voting yes for our schools April 26.

Jennifer Tarrach, Kirkland