Twenty-six years ago I was new to Marysville and new to teaching. I was excited to go to work at Marysville Middle School and always chuckled to myself when I walked past the building’s construction marker showing it to be older than me! The student population then was overflowing and every foot of that building was used. When I taught, we faced the frustration of a building built before the explosion of technology. We had two electrical outlets in each room and not placed for constant use. The extension cords we bought and used had to be unplugged every night. The heaters were ineffective in winter and very loud, causing noise to be excessive and teaching difficult. In warm weather, we could open a few windows and hope for a breeze. The custodial staff was constantly fixing leaks, broken pipes, electrical problems and so on.
I left teaching to become a full-time firefighter but I stayed in Marysville. My kids have gone to school here. I have seen this district struggle to maintain what it has and look for creative ways to build when it needed to, such as the modular construction of the Marysville Getchell and Tulalip campuses. I have seen the district take measures to find out what the community wants and to be open and accessible in the decisions and planning that have taken place.
If we want to attract new business and residents, especially those with young families, we need to have schools that are not older than yours truly. We need to have campuses that look appealing, are energy efficient and built for the technology of today and tomorrow. If we want a community with energy and a future, we have to invest in that. Join me in supporting a strong community that we can be proud of. Vote yes for Marysville Schools by April 26.
Dan Schwartz
Marysville
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