Letter: One central campus is the right choice

Published 11:50 am Monday, April 11, 2022

We are writing this letter in support of the upcoming school bond.

We moved to the peninsula in 1980, owned a veterinary business here, and raised two children attending the Ocean Beach Schools.

Although there may be frustrations with some of the staffing and some students’ behavior, that is not what this community school bond is about.

This school bond focuses on the reality of multiple failing buildings due to a lack of updated safety measures and inefficient use of monies trying to maintain multiple school buildings.

Twenty years is a long time since a school bond was passed. As in any building, deterioration and discovering unsafe materials becomes obvious. Knowingly for six to eight hours placing children in buildings with corrosive pipes, asbestos flooring, poor ventilation, and unstable seismic foundations is irresponsible.

Want to save money in the long run? Consolidating schools provides efficiency and cost savings. Examples are eliminating shared staff from driving miles from building to building, being able to share educational resources between multiple classrooms, and decreasing utility costs and food servicing costs.

Let’s consider student bonuses! Mentoring and tutoring with ease between grade levels, efficient access to an array of learning materials, one central place for student pickup, and a safe environment are such pluses.

Please support our kids and schools! The following quote resonates. You think education is expensive, try ignorance.

ED KETEL

CATHERINE LINDBLAD KETEL, Ocean Beach Education Foundation Board Member