The April bond request by the Lake Washington School District appears to have failed, although results are not yet certified. The bond was smaller than the one put forth in February but perhaps the district, with boundaries extending from Finn Hill to Sammamish, should try a different, “smaller” approach. “Smaller,” as in going to the legislature and asking that the district be divided up to reflect the reality of a “grown-up” eastside. The reality is that Sammamish and Redmond Ridge, among others, are no longer rural outposts. They’re full-blown cities and communities with huge populations of younger families with children. They may need additional schools, but asking the more mature homeowners of Kirkland to foot the bill is a hard sell.

I suggest you survey Kirkland homeowners. Simply ask residents of ZIP code 98033 or 98034 if they can name an elementary school on the Sammamish Plateau. My bet is that they can’t and don’t care to.

In some situations there is a good connotation to the old saw: “divide and conquer.”

Llew Johnson, Kirkland