Did you know that the Granby Elementary third-grade class population was so big, a fourth class was needed? Yet there was no classroom, so the fourth third-grade class is now crammed into what used to be the Occupational Therapy room, and the Occupational Therapist now works out of the school library. Did you know that experienced teachers at West Grand School District get paid less than minimum wage workers at Middle Park Health? Don’t you want more for our children, and for our community?

It is our responsibility as a community to invest in our children, which supports their social, educational and emotional growth, and parents and employers. It also supports our community’s long-term sustainability, economic growth, and overall health. Our children deserve a quality education, and our community deserves to be able to give it to them. Both East and West Grand School Districts are ranked as quality educational programs. It is our job to help them continue to be so. The past year has shown us how important our school facilities and teachers are for our children’s education. Grand County voters, now is the time to show up for our kids.

Vote Yes on 4A: East Grand School District voters can support a bond measure that will help improve school facilities. The amount of the bond increase for a $500,000 valued house is comparable to 2 tanks of gas (in a 25 gallon vehicle), or $183 per year. That investment will help provide classrooms with a small student to teacher ratio; improve safety measures; offer a Career-Tech Ed building for High School students; and help build a new Granby elementary school that could become a community school where services for children and families are centralized. And the bones of the current school are still good and could be renovated for other community projects, like a human service co-located building – making your dollars go even further.

Vote Yes on 5A: West Grand School District voters can support a property tax levy to improve teacher salaries, programming, and district facilities. In the past year, teachers have been heroes. They still are and deserve competitive wages to keep quality teachers for our children and good, livable wages for all staff and faculty. This levy will also improve and update technology, which is a key factor in learning and preparing our children for the real world today. The increase is $167.77 per year on a $500,000 house to keep WGSD a great school with competitive salaries.

The Grand County Rural Health Network supports these initiatives because high quality schools – including healthy and safe facilities and competitive wages – are a key indicator of a healthy community. I support these initiatives because someone else once did for me. And now, it’s my turn to support our children.

Jen Fanning is executive director of Grand County Rural Health Network and a parent of a Granby Elementary fourth grade student.