By now you have likely read dozens of articles and heard countless pundits talking about the election results. I am not writing today to talk about the presidential election. I am writing to say thank you for passing the Kent School District Bond to reduce overcrowding and improve schools.

Thank you voters for passing the 252-million-dollar bond that will allow us to reduce overcrowding by building two new elementary schools, adding 20 new classrooms at overcrowded schools where needed most, and making a host of other sorely needed improvements in safety, utility and infrastructure.

At this writing, the election results show the bond’s passage exceeding the supermajority threshold with more than 66 percent voting yes. There are nearly 4,000 more yes votes than needed to pass.

Bonds and levies are simply financial and political conventions to fund schools, however, they are just a small part of true community support. Regardless of how you voted on this measure, we need your support for our children and youth and our schools. We need parents and guardians to be engaged in their children’s education. We need businesses to work with our schools so we can know best how to prepare our students for meaningful employment in our communities. We need our colleges, universities, and trade schools to help us create additional pathways to student success in life. We need our community institutions including civic groups, faith-based organizations, clubs, sports teams, police departments, fire departments, and other municipal groups, as well as our counseling and other service agencies to continue their thoughtful and robust partnerships with us for developing the “whole-child” to achieve student success.

Yes, we need you to support our schools at the ballot box but in the end, every child needs you to support them as individuals. In the next few months, we will be rolling out our new Strategic Plan. It has four main goals: 1) to prepare our students to be college and career ready, 2) to engage our community in meaningful two-way communication, 3) to create an effective organization that values equity and excellence at all levels and 4) to develop a premier workforce that can serve each and every child.

Thank you in advance for being a critical part in meeting every one of those goals.

Please know that we will continue to need your support now and into the future. We will also use the resources you have provided us to prepare each and every student in our care for lives of success, health, and positive impact.

Calvin J. Watts

Kent School District Superintendent