A barren hilltop on Snoqualmie Ridge is now ready for another thousand homes to be installed. Soon there will be new neighbors for all of us to meet and welcome. These people will be bringing their children. So who will pay for the new schools? Is it the builder, the new homeowner, or is it all of us?

Ideally, the builder will pay a fee to the school district and roll the cost into the price of the house. Unfortunately, our taxing districts have not corrected the rates fast enough nor have they responded to our concerns about the incorrect rates in an effective way. Presently, our school district is collecting about half of what is required to meet the needs of each new family that moves in. The shortfall is only about $2,000 per house. If this were rolled into the cost of the house it would likely represent less than a one percent increase in the price. It’s an affordable fee.

Please let the school district know your opinion on this matter. If nothing changes, the district is soon going to ask you to pay a little more each month to cover the $4 million that they might not collect from the builders.

David Willson

North Bend