Editor,
Ridgefield is a wonderful community that offers an array of social and recreational opportunities that includes a 5,100-acre national wildlife refuge, a longhouse, a public golf course, boating launches, rivers and a resort that features a casino,15 restaurants and a 14-story hotel and event center. Ridgefield also has great public schools that now, more than ever, need your support. A 63.08% increase in population since the 2020 census put available classrooms well over capacity. This is not a sustainable situation and is already harming some students.
Remember a few years ago how thrilled we were when Rosauers Supermarket opened? Over the next 12 to 24 months we’ll be cutting ribbons on a YMCA center, a Costco warehouse, a Panda Express, an In-N-Out burger and the long-awaited Clark College satellite campus. We all understand the need to build new roads, sewer lines, water lines and power transmitters to accommodate these uses. This development is important, but none of these uses are as critical as building adequate school infrastructure. Education is no different than any other public service. We need new schools to accommodate this truly massive growth.
School districts to the south with mature populations are experiencing reduced enrollment, but Ridgefield schools are bursting at the seams. The COVID pandemic set a lot of children back scholastically and socially, which complicates quality educational delivery. Many students struggle with anxiety and other academic and emotional special needs. Our teachers are consistently stretched beyond their capacity with such large numbers of students per classroom. Ratios of 18 to 1 for K-3 grades are a start, as we know that early learning is critical to promote a successful educational experience in later grades.
Reducing class size with our available facilities is not possible. There are not enough classrooms to house the students we already have without converting other school facilities meant for recreation or specialized learning into classrooms. New schools are not a luxury, folks, but a necessity.
Putting aside the obvious community benefits of well-served students and a well-educated general population, let’s talk business for a minute. A strong educational system attracts businesses who need an educated workforce. Business tax revenue will help reduce the tax burden now falling on residential homeowners. Great schools also protect property values, attract cultural organizations and improve our personal and collective quality of life. It is hard to understand why we’ve come up short of the 60% supermajority required to pass recent bonds unless we address the real estate tax burden. Seniors and people with disabilities with household incomes that fall below the median income may qualify for reduced real estate taxes. If you do, you can vote for this bond without increasing your tax bill. Here’s the program info: assessor-property-tax-exemption-program-clarkcountywa.hub.arcgis.com/.
Lastly, a school bond is not the place to battle our politics. A quality public education is a sacred promise each generation makes to the next. Be a good ancestor and please vote yes.
Elizabeth Madrigal
Ridgefield
