I certainly appreciate the focus placed on the school bond measures in this paper but we should not forget that providing a quality education for our community should be the first concern of every voter.

Jackie Pendergrass has proven to be an extraordinary advocate of the Lake Washington School District as the president of their board. Take a moment to read through the headlines from this year and you will see the evidence of her work: LWSD has increased their SAT scores in all categories, 40 students named National Merit Semifinalists, students performing vastly ahead of state average on new tests, LWSD students being more likely to meet ACT college readiness standards, students receiving top scores in the world in Cambridge exams, 24 schools receiving Washington Achievement Awards, clean district audit reports, individual teacher awards.

My favorite statistic being that nine out of every 10 students from our high schools graduate on time with academic standards that are, according to the OSPI state website, among the best in our state.

Jackie Pendergress did not do all of that alone, of course. There is a brilliant group of teachers, administrators and (most of all) students that made these stunning headlines a reality. But every person on the school board today and in years to come has benefited from the fantastic leadership she has provided for our community and we owe it to her to not forget the number one job of a school district: educating students.

Johnmichael Monteith, Kirkland