Although the population of Mill Valley is comparable to other high schools in the area, the quality of other facilities tends to be better than ours. The proposed bond would allow the district to allocate funds to facility improvements, educational technology and the construction of a career and technical center, and more. Voting in favor of the bond issue ensures that students will receive the accommodations they need as well as provide a secure future.

We want Mill Valley and our district to continue its success long after our departure and the only way to ensure this is by updating the district facilities. Our facilities were only meant to support a 4A student population, and aren’t adequate for the largest 5A school, which is still growing.

The bond will allow us to retain our name as one of the best districts in Kansas and the opportunities would come without a significant financial burden to the community. According to the district website, the bond issue would not increase the tax rates, but rather continually decrease it in the future. Therefore, voting in favor of the bond would provide no foreseeable negative consequences to voters.

The JagWire staff is filled with diverse individuals whose academic needs represent a vast majority of the student body and community. Our students are active in the fine arts department, athletics, career and technical classes and multiple other clubs.  The current theater isn’t adequate for the needs of the drama and music department, all of whom would benefit from a larger space and higher quality stage. In addition, student athletes would benefit from a new weight room, gym and fieldhouse as these would make our school more competitive with other similarly-sized schools.

The bond provides so much for our school and district. Whether it be providing a space for the theater students to dress, allowing more room at graduation or providing a fieldhouse so that athletes have easy access to water, there is something for everyone. Voting yes would ensure a brighter future for all De Soto school district students.