I am a parent of two students at Helen Keller Elementary in Kirkland. My child’s school was replaced thanks to an earlier successful bond measure.

Getting a simple cafeteria was a big deal to my family. Before, kids ate in their classrooms, often spilling and getting crumbs everywhere. A peanut allergic child, this was a daily stressor for my son. Now he is much safer at lunch time and more relaxed in the classroom.

Other schools in the district also need to be replaced. The $404 million Lake Washington School District bond measure will be on the April special election. It will: build three new elementary schools, build one new middle school, re-build and expand Juanita High School, build new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) high school on the Juanita High School campus in Kirkland and build new addition at Lake Washington High School.

Please vote yes when you get your ballot in early April. Return your ballot early; don’t wait until the last minute. Every vote counts!

April Johnson-Shults, Kirkland