From Jeremy and Donna Cairy

Monroe

To the Editor: 

As parents of a Northside student and a Northside alumnus we are writing this letter in support of the Northside Elementary School Referendum. Two years ago, Northside School celebrated its 50th anniversary. It was a magical afternoon that celebrated the integral part Northside School plays in our community. It also showed that Northside is in need of some upgrades and repairs in order to make it functional and the best it can be for our children.

Northside was built in 1968. It has seen multiple generations of students through its doors. Like any building, Northside is in need of some important maintenance and upgrades that will help make Northside safer and most importantly improve accessibility for all students to learn there. Because Northside was built before the American with Disabilities Act law, Northside does not have the handicapped accessible bathrooms it needs. These bathrooms are necessary not only for students with mobility issues but also for parents and grandparents who come to Northside to volunteer, come to open house, and come to see the students’ amazing concerts, art work, school work, and all the incredible things the staff at Northside do with our students. 

If the referendum is passed there will also be upgrades to lighting, electrical and wiring. Most importantly a sprinkler system will be installed. This is a major safety upgrade that has to be done. The best part of all of this is that it will not raise our property taxes. The district and board of education realize that raised taxes are hard on families and are trying to make much needed safety improvements without raising taxes. As parents we have been involved at Northside for 9 years and have seen first hand that the building needs important repairs. Please remember a YES vote on April 6th is a vote to improve a school building we need to educate the future job seekers, citizens, and contributing adults of Monroe.

Thank you.