March 7, 2023
Education

General Obligation School Bond Election op-ed General Obligation School Bond Election op-ed

March 1, 2023

There is an extremely important Bond Election for Carlsbad Municipal Schools being held on March 28th, 2023 that will impact all K-12 students and teachers for years to come. I HIGHLY recommend that you vote in favor of this Bond.

It is very important to know that this Bond Election WILL NOT RAISE TAXES!

The vote will be conducted entirely by mail-in ballot. Ballots will be mailed to you on March 1st, 2023 and must be completed and returned prior to Tuesday, March 28th, 2023.

Funds from this Bond Election will be used to construct an additional, brand new Middle School on Boyd Drive in the Southern section of Carlsbad, as well as funds for the complete renovation of Sunset Elementary School. These two projects are just the next phase of the overall strategic plan to improve all Carlsbad Municipal Schools as proposed by Superintendent, Dr. Gerry Washburn.

A similar Bond Election was passed in 2019 and enabled the following projects: A brand new Performance Art Building and Athletic Field House at Carlsbad High School, the complete renovation of Riverside and Monterrey Elementary Schools and the addition of Kindergarten units to both Desert Willow and Ocotillo Elementary Schools. As an update, the Riverside Elementary and Kindergarten projects have been completed and construction has begun on the new Performance Art Building. Construction of the new Field House and Monterrey renovations are scheduled to commence very soon.

Again, this Bond Election will not raise taxes. In my opinion, voting in opposition of the Bond would be foolish and counterproductive not only for our city, but even more importantly for our K-12 students and teachers as well.

In closing, I would like to express my gratitude for and admiration of Superintendent Washburn. In my opinion, Dr. Washburn has managed the previous bond funds and construction projects in responsible and professional manner at the same time as successfully fulfilling his traditional duties as Superintendent. I applaud Dr. Washburn’s focus, work-ethic and determination in attempting to provide the highest quality education and educational environment possible for the children and future leaders of our community.