Letters of Support

As the parents of two students in the Port Townsend School District, we enthusiastically support the 2026 capital bond and encourage our community to do the same.

I graduated from Port Townsend High School (PTHS) in 1997. My grandfather, parents, sister, and a number of aunts, uncles, and cousins are all proud graduates of PTHS as well! It was for those reasons, and many others, that we enrolled our children in the district in 2024.

We moved from a very large district and the contrast has been striking — in the best possible ways. From the moment our children entered the district, we were welcomed into a school community that is deeply committed to students as individuals, to strong relationships and to meaningful learning.

Seeing the district now through the eyes of both a graduate and a parent has only reinforced our belief in the value of investing in our schools. Port Townsend has a long tradition of caring for its children, and that tradition depends on continued community support.

The 2026 capital bond represents an investment not just in buildings and infrastructure, but in educational opportunity, safety, and the longterm strength of our community. Supporting this bond will help ensure that all students—current and future—have access to learning environments that reflect the quality of education we expect and value.

Our experience in the Port Townsend School District has been overwhelmingly positive, and we believe this bond will allow that excellence to continue and grow. We urge voters to join us in enthusiastically supporting the 2026 capital bond for the benefit of all our children.

Nick (’97) and Lacey Harper (1/28/26 Leader)

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My son, Jamie, is a graduate of Port Townsend High School. As I write this he is on his way to Sundance for the premier of a film he wrote. Recognized by state and national awards, the Port Townsend High School consistently “punches above its weight.” Education, with health care, the arts, and marine trades are things our community cares deeply about and consequently does well.

We have a history of investing in our schools. Jamie was in the first class of Blue Heron Middle School in 1995, and we have better than replaced old Grant Street with Salish Coast Elementary.

But in the forty-plus years I have lived here, with the exception of closing the Lincoln Building, the Port Townsend High school campus has barely been touched. One reason for this neglect has been the expense — it’s a large campus. The school board we elected has taken on this challenge and worked hard to create a cost-effective plan for renovation.

It’s time.

Our students and faculty deserve a facility worthy of their accomplishments. Future generations will require a facility adequate to continue that tradition of excellence. And our city deserves a campus worthy of its location at its center.

I gladly support the school bond for renovation and improvement of the Port Townsend High School campus. I can’t imagine a better investment.

David King (1/28/26 Leader)

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School bond ballots are due Feb. 10 and require 60% “yes” votes to approve a bond of $99.25 million, paid over 20 years. For a home assessed at $600,000, the bond is estimated to raise local school taxes by about $34 per month, still lower than the state average.

This project is also eligible for $8 million in state and other grant assistance, but only if the bond passes. Port Townsend’s students deserve healthy, well-equipped facilities. These are tomorrow’s leaders, let’s equip them for the challenges they will face. Vote “yes” for the school bond.

Christine de Vries (1/28/26 Leader)

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Our local public schools are essential, and they need our continued support. In the bond election coming Feb. 10, the Port Townsend School District is asking us to invest in the high school and Gael Stuart buildings, the last tired old school buildings in the district. Wherever we grew up, somebody invested in our school buildings, and now it’s our turn to step up.

This community consistently supports Port Townsend schools. Since 1990, we have built new school buildings for all students from preschool through eighth grade. After teaching in two worn-out buildings, I taught at Blue Heron and saw the difference modern buildings can make in the daily lives of students and teachers. The high school and Gael Stuart buildings may be old, but we can make them new again with the latest technology, efficient systems and better safety and security. The innovative Ocean program, serving 150 students, can have a campus to call home.

The Port Townsend School District is worthy of your support. Our high school was recently rated among the top twenty in Washington state and our graduates make us proud every day. The district has done their homework. The district’s Facilities Advisory Committee includes Matt Klontz, a civil engineer who attended local school and now serves on the school board. The committee spent years inspecting the facilities, consulting experts and considering options before coming up with a proposal that will meet our needs for many decades to come. The details are at the district’s website.

Whether you’re a native or new here, these are your schools and they need your support. The future is calling on us to invest in the lives of the thousands of students who will pass through our doors. Please spread the word and vote “Yes!”

Bruce Cowan (12/24/26 Leader)

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Ten years ago when my son was seven, I worked on the citizen’s campaign to pass the bond that built the new elementary school. That successful vote in 2016 was driven by the shared beliefs that our children deserve safe, modern places to learn, and that quality school facilities attract young professionals. Today, when I walk into Salish Coast, I feel so proud of what our community accomplished together.

Very soon, voters in the Port Townsend School District will be asked to make another investment in our youth and our future — approving the bond to overhaul the high school on the hill. It is the last of our three campuses to be modernized, and it is long overdue.

My son is now 17 and a junior at PT High School, so I see firsthand how badly it needs updating. The dedicated staff are doing everything they can within the limitations of 100-year-old facilities that haven’t been remodeled in 45 years. As a parent, I focus on the safety and seismic concerns, but the classrooms are crowded, shabby, energy inefficient and spread across multiple buildings.

Attending an eye-opening student-led tour (there are more scheduled in January; sign up on the school website) convinced me that Proposition No. 1 reflects thoughtful research, responsible financial planning and real urgency.

What really inspires me, though, is the opportunity to invest in the students themselves. When we invest in schools, we send a clear message to our youth that they matter. We show them that the broader community sees their value and potential and is willing to build the conditions for them to thrive.

We need a strong voter turnout on February 10. Please mark your calendar to turn in your ballot and join me in voting “yes” for schools.

Shelly Rees Randall (12/17/26 Leader)