Yes on Measure W

During the last heat wave, students at Carlmont High School in Belmont had to move to different sections of school buildings that had air conditioning. One could say the heat wave is an anomaly and that young people are flexible enough to contend with harsh conditions. If you really think about it, however, such situations are simply not acceptable.

The Sequoia Union High School District has successfully managed its last bond campaign, Measure A, approved in 2014. That measure allowed for the district to finance $265 million in debt to fund improvements such as new classroom wings and facilities. There is a cost to borrowing money for construction and other improvements, but this is a well-known fact. And more work is needed. As outlined in the district’s publicly vetted Facilities Master Plan, there are significant needs in the district — more than $1 billion worth. That number may seem incredibly large, but not if you think about the role the district’s high schools play in the community. These schools are a shared community resource, and some of them are old and need to be modernized.