I urge voters in the Pasco School District to vote yes for the bond for new schools. I've seen firsthand the effects of growth upon the families of this district.

It doesn't seem long ago that we were breaking ground for Maya Angelou. I and my two children were there. Fast forward a year, I walked the hallways of this school, it was the biggest elementary school the district had built.

I was struck by its size and thought it'd take time to fill. I was wrong, soon portables went up. They went up everywhere across the district; the children kept coming. Maya was designed for 725 students it now has almost 900.

When I was on the school board we extensively studied the options we had, we especially looked at a multi-track school year. The contention by the Franklin County Commissioners is wrong.

It's a stopgap measure; it doesn't save money. I was at those meetings, I was there for the input from the community. District officials have carefully crafted this bond.

We need these new schools. I've always been proud of this community for its commitment to the children. Make me proud; vote "yes" for the children.

JOHN S HERGERT, Pasco