Letter: A “yes” vote on 3B benefits local schools

As a teacher, a parent and a community member of Glenwood Springs, I ask all voters within the Roaring Fork School District to vote “yes” on 3B this fall. I attended Glenwood Springs Elementary School as a child, my children attend school in this community and I am honored to teach at the elementary school. While the school where I teach has certainly received a lot of attention for the huge rebuild we will receive when the bond passes, today I’d like to share with you the importance of the middle school renovations in all three communities.

My daughters just completed three years at Glenwood Springs Middle School. Like Carbondale and Basalt middle schools, Glenwood Springs Middle School is one of the oldest unchanged buildings in the district. It is dim and cramped with narrow, dark hallways. In addition, some classes are held in modular buildings that are in need of repairs. Educational research shows that adolescents, particularly at the middle school age, benefit from learning spaces that are built for community, designed with a “heart” at their center. The bond will allow for all three of our middle schools to have modest redesigns that optimize the environment for the adolescent brain. In addition, all three will receive energy efficiency upgrades.

Now, my daughters attend Glenwood Springs High School. In the bond, the high school will receive a remodeled performance art space. Basalt High School, along with support from the Basalt community, plans to build a small performance space as it currently has no auditorium. Carbondale Community School will receive a learning lab.

We are fortunate to live in a country where public education is available for all children. I believe we, as a community, have a responsibility to provide not only high quality instruction, but also facilities that are safe and optimal for learning. These are just some of the projects our communities will receive that will greatly enhance education for our students, if the bond is passed. Please join me in voting “yes” on 3B this fall.

Kim Worline

Glenwood Springs