Growing up in the Midwest, I remember going through the “duck and cover” drills and how silly it seemed in the moment.

Back then school shootings never occurred to us as a possibility. That changed when Columbine ushered in a horrific new threat and our children now practice for a very real possibility of the once unthinkable.

We had to harden our schools and invest in locks over books, fencing over swings, and panic buttons over crayons. The district is making these upgrades, but there is still work to do, and security investments to make.

Our kids also deal with more smoke now and a fire season that never seems to end, higher temperatures long into the fall and much more. The result is that HVAC systems work longer and harder to protect students.

The primary example is Redmond High, the maintenance team pushed back the inevitable as long possible, but the boiler is ancient and will fail. That failure will be very costly and force the building to shut down without notice, it must be replaced. There is also asbestos to be removed and other needed repairs. RHS is the largest but not the only building that needs love.

I will be voting for the bond to ensure that our kids have a safe learning environment while keeping tax rates flat. The way I see it, we can invest now or pay much more later while our kids deal with the consequences.

John Nielsen

Redmond city councilor

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