Vote yes to improve CR schools

I am voting yes in the Sept. 9 election for the Physical Plant & Equipment Levy (PPEL). We have great assets in our historic school buildings - the average of which is 60 years old.

The rich history and unique architecture we have in our neighborhood schools are indeed worth preserving.

The PPEL has been in place for 40 years and has never been increased during that time. The increase won't go toward extravagant needs. It's reasonable that as our schools age, the investment needed to maintain them also grows.

The PPEL funds will keep our kid's learning environment safe and secure for years to come. A failure to invest in that infrastructure will mean that basic needs will go unmet and building safety and integrity will decline. I fear this could lead to retiring of some of our older schools that would otherwise be viable for many years, and could case significant increases in taxpayer costs to replace them with new structures.

These buildings aren't just property. They are the places that our children spend their days learning. When I drop my daughter off at McKinley Middle School, I marvel over the architecture of that structure (and how cool is it that there are 'twin buildings” in our district?), and I find it impressive how PPEL funds have been used to maintain them to this point. Let's vote yes for the PPEL and invest in these structures so they can cost-effectively serve our students for years to come.

Jen Neumann

Cedar Rapids