The Lake Orion Community Schools Bond Proposal is critical to all residents of the community. This Bond Proposal not only helps our schools, it helps the entire community and every property owner.

If this bond fails, we will see a decline in our schools and our property values. It is a fact that higher functioning school districts equal higher home values. Our house values will decline along with younger families and new students coming into the district. This is an extension of a current bond that will not raise our taxes and will only improve our home values and our schools.

I am a parent of children in the district and have been involved in their schools. We have some of the best programs in the state and if this proposal doesn’t pass these programs will quickly decline in what we can offer the students. The team-teaching concept at the middle school level will no longer exist. As a parent who has had both my children experience this concept I can’t say enough wonderful things about it. It helps the child develop a relationship with their core teachers and grow in every way they can.

I have personally experienced the closure and redistricting of the elementary schools last year. My son went from being at the newest grade school to one of the oldest and the newest grade school needed updates and maintenance but one of the oldest grade schools desperately needs work.

My son was cramped into a tiny classroom with no space at all to work in small groups or with other parents or teachers. Every inch of that classroom was packed with students.

The Sinking Fund money was used as it was intended to fix the critical items that were needed but if the Bond does not pass this school will only become more crowded and in worse shape.

This is just one school in the district, I know how critical it is to update and maintain the other buildings.

The programs that will be cut will affect our children’s education and quickly put them behind in technology. This is an area that is rapidly growing and changing, and we should want the children to have the best and most current technology there is.

I would hope each voter would think about the future of our community and vote Yes on Nov. 6.

Thank you,

Joy Martin

Lake Orion