Letters | Frosh campus pros outweigh the cons

I have had three children in the Snoqualmie school district, with two completing K-12 in 2011 and 2012. They have attended all three middle schools and have had an excellent education at all three. My middle son was in the last class to graduate from Chief Kanim Middle School before Twin Falls opened. At that time, they had extra classes such as Spanish that could be offered, because the student body was large enough to support the extra teachers required.

April 20, 2012 5:54 pm

I have had three children in the Snoqualmie school district, with two completing K-12 in 2011 and 2012.  They have attended all three middle schools and have had an excellent education at all three.

My middle son was in the last class to graduate from Chief Kanim Middle School before Twin Falls opened.  At that time, they had extra classes such as Spanish that could be offered, because the student body was large enough to support the extra teachers required.  It never hurt my children to take the hour bus ride each way from Wilderness Rim to Chief Kanim, and their education was never lacking with the school bustling and full.  In fact, it benefited my North Bend boys to know and become friends with students from all over the district.

I have spent enough time at the high school to know overcrowding needs to be the priority.  If you are ever in the halls when the bells ring, good luck in even moving, let alone getting where you need to be.  I know that there are ninth graders and older students who struggle daily with the size of the school.

I think the positive impact of the Freshman Learning Center will more than make up for the pains of transition.

If you’re worried that your SMS student will have a hard time adjusting to the FLC, then you should be crazy scared how they will adjust to the size, pace and atmosphere at Mount Si if things don’t change. Even if a bond for a new high school passed tomorrow, it would probably never be built in time for your child to attend.  If you are worried your child won’t adjust to going to Chief Kanim for eighth grade, you should know it is an excellent school.

The ninth grade campus is a fix for the crowding at the high school that needs to be fixed now.  I applaud the three board members, who are in the know enough, for making a hard choice.  Maybe the two who did not get their way need to become team players and work toward making this work.  The vote happened, they lost, now they need to start acting for our children and not against the remaining members of the board.  We as a community can help our children accept the reality of the FLC now, and grow their excitement for the opportunity to continue their learning together there in ninth grade.

Laurie Farmer

North Bend