The viewpoint from a teacher on high school bond

The ballots have gone out and many, myself included, who stand vehemently behind this bond have voted yes already.  For those who have decided to vote no, many have checked that box, affixed their stamp and done their civic duty. I am writing to those who still have not checked their ballots. To those who do not know why they should support this bond. I am writing to those who feel there might have been a better option, or are confused by the somewhat conflicting information they have gotten from people who are not involved in the project.

When we first set out to see what problems might be hiding in a school that hasn’t been updated in 50 years, it occurred to me almost immediately that the staff and students at BHS haven’t been complaining nearly enough about their working conditions. The students haven’t been complaining nearly enough about the cramped rooms, the poor science lab, the hiking back and forth to the elementary school to take classes.  

The shop students weren’t complaining about their outdated space, the kids didn’t complain about having to leave the school and walk to the dusty wood shop to take art. Our students with disabilities didn’t complain about the ramp leading to the ridiculous “bathroom”, or the shaky elevator. And I was appalled to learn exactly how much building code has changed, and how much safer we can make our school. Fire suppression, and a dedicated front entrance alone would certainly make me, and I would imagine many parents, sleep easier.

I am a teacher at Bigfork High School, and we don’t complain because we make it work. We take on our small rooms, our labs from a by-gone era, our cold windowless classrooms, and our lack of storage, we exile teachers to the shop and the middle school, we do it, because, that is what you do. You make the best of your surroundings, you buckle down, and you produce. The kids, they don’t complain because this is their school, and they take pride in it. They love it, and like a little brother, if someone says something bad about it, they defend it.

Too much time has passed in stifled silence. Let me state what others don’t want to: the school we love so dearly, is inadequate for the needs of our kids, and no amount of band aids or freezing raccoon infested portables will fix it. This bond, this plan, will. I sat in the room with the architects while pet project after pet project was rejected, and only needs were addressed. The needs of our school will be met by this bond for at least the next twenty years.  

While the squeaky wheel gets the grease the one that doesn’t complain, might not be fine. I have heard people in the community say Bigfork High School was good enough for them, or their parents, or grandparents. I have heard people use our incredible test scores and graduation rate against us. The logical fallacy is that the school must not need to be fixed, because the product, our kids, are not broken. But as we all know, you can only duct tape something so long before it is irreparable.  

Please let me offer this warning, while I have spent many hours on this project I am in no way an expert. Some of the editorials you have read have come from people who are appealing to your heart, they tell us to vote for students; vote for the future; vote for Bigfork. Some have appealed to your practical side; fixing our school will raise property values and help you sell your house. The practical argument also speaks to interest rates (sure to rise, and soon, and taxable base.) It doesn’t take an economist to understand the impact interest rates have on a bond issue like this.

Know also that those who have written in opposition to this bond are also not experts, no matter how much they want us to believe they are. Many are, in fact, saying or writing things that are untrue, intentionally misleading the voting public. Nothing irks a teacher more than seeing people without the facts, those who never bothered to educate themselves, convincing others to follow them. This is why I became an educator. Seeking knowledge is at the heart of our democracy. This is civics 101, this is Thomas Jefferson, Victor Hugo, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. I teach my kids in the plainest way possible that the only way our government works, is if the voting public is educated.

I voted yes because I sought out the facts, I have worked in the building for eleven years and I know the limitations, I know how the building is hindering our children’s education no matter how dedicated and talented our workforce. I know, as a father, I want the school my son graduates from in 2029 to be safe with adequate classrooms and spaces to learn. I know because I found out.

Finally, the teachers, administrators, and support staff I have spoken to, stand behind the bond issue. The people who know the most about the school, stand behind the bond. That means something to me. If you are still undecided, please call the school, take a tour, speak to someone who knows, and then, in good conscience, mark your ballot.

— Charles Appleby, Bigfork