I’m voting “yes” on the school bond renewal. I am not a native of Alpena. When I moved here, the very first thing I looked at was the school system. I looked at test scores, curriculum materials, and toured buildings. It’s the first thing many people do when moving to a new area. If we don’t as a community invest in our schools, there will be a much bigger problem than building issues.

I often hear people discuss how they wish there were more specialists. I’ve heard of businesses having issues finding different kinds of technical people. We can’t expect educated people to want to move their families here if we have a community that doesn’t want to support education. It helps the community as a whole to have a productive school system.

Our buildings are in dire need. It isn’t for lack of maintenance. Our maintenance workers search the country to find parts for 30- to 50-year-old boilers. They’re patching roofs every year. They’re doing the best they can with the budget they’re given. The equipment is old and the roofs are old. They need to be replaced, not maintained.

It doesn’t matter to me that past superintendents or boards didn’t see the problems or have the budget to do necessary replacements. It matters to me that this superintendent and board see the immediate need that others didn’t.

This bond is not changing what I already pay, so I have no reason not to say “YES.”

ALICIA GEMBEL,

Alpena