Letter: Vote yes for Ocean Beach kids

Published 12:32 pm Monday, April 18, 2022

I am writing this to urge the voters of the Ocean Beach School District to please vote yes on the upcoming bond.

I am a current junior at Ilwaco High School, and have grown up in this district my entire life. My grade, specifically, has been impacted by many adversities when it comes to our education. One of these was the controversial decision to move 5th grade from both Ocean Park and Long Beach Elementary, to Hilltop School. I remember as a 4th grader when this decision was made, I was not worried about moving to middle school a year early. My only concern was not being able to sit on the bleachers during assemblies for my 5th grade year. This goes to show that all of this controversy about “neighborhood schools” and saving individual buildings does not matter in the eyes of a young elementary schooler.

All of these disputes over Facebook and in the newspaper are not in the interest of the kids, but in the interest of voters who feel like not having a school in their own individual community is giving something up.

First of all, this school district is not divided by Long Beach, Ocean Park, Ilwaco, Chinook and the countless other small areas on our peninsula. This is one district, one community, and when individuals spout that it is not, that is when these false ideas affect our kids. Children have minds that must be shaped by influences in their lives. No student believes in this division until a mentor in their life forces it onto them.

Secondly, to those who are concerned about losing “neighborhood schools,” I am going to look at this issue from your point of view. A main reason that you may be worried about losing an elementary school in your area is the fear that the culture of the area will change. This is a narrow-minded way to look at things. The closure of a school should not change the culture, because the culture is the people.

As citizens of our community and our district, we create our own culture, and that culture can be maintained by getting involved. Sign up to volunteer by reading to students, or helping at sporting events! Attend a school board meeting and voice your thoughts and ideas, and listen to others! Join a parents group or sports boosters club! There are many ways to get involved and give citizens from all parts of our community a voice.

One point that I have seen many have an issue with is that there was a bond passed in 2003 to maintain the current buildings we have. To put something in perspective, when this bond was passed in April 2003, none of our current students were even born! This was almost 20 years ago, and maintenance isn’t a once-every-20-years issue. Buildings and facilities constantly need maintenance, and need to be kept up on frequently. The 2022 bond is not only to maintain our schools, but to make these buildings better, whether it is a complete remodel or a brand new building.

As a student in our district who is not yet old enough to vote, I ask each and every voter to please vote yes for those of us who cannot. I graduate in one year, so I know that this bond will not help me, but it will help the majority of students left in our district, and new students for years to come.

Remember when you are voting that you are not affected by this bond other than a tax increase, but our kids are. Kids care about attending a maintained school that is not falling apart. Kids care about playing sports on a good field that can help their performance. Kids care about going to school with their friends from all areas of our community. Kids care about cheering for football games in a stadium that is not about to collapse. Kids care about their teachers, who care about teaching on a campus where they can work with other teachers of all grade levels. Kids care about helping other kids who are going through a tough time, with programs like high school mentorship programs, where the student does not have to drive to another campus.

When you are filling out your ballot, please remember to not be selfish, but to vote yes, for a better educational future for our kids.

ZOEY ZUERN

Seaview