School bond vote will soon be upon us

Spring in Minnesota seems to come slowly and in fits and starts, with a couple of warm-weather days sandwiched by late-season snow storms.
So perhaps it should be no surprise that many residents chose to be out and about in Monday evening’s lovely spring weather rather than in a school cafeteria taking in a presentation on the Glencoe-Silver Lake School District’s proposed $24 million building project.
The forum, the first by the school district, drew just three residents, a couple of school board members and a reporter.
However, Superintendent Chris Sonju and Business Manager Michelle Sander addressed the issues and questions as carefully and as thoroughly as if they were presenting to a crowd of 200, instead of a crowd of six.
Fortunately, the school district is planning other forums — with dates yet to be set — and we hope more people take advantage of the opportunity to become informed on the proposed project. The school district also has a wealth of information on its website, from a description of the proposed project to tax impact information, but there is something about seeing and hearing firsthand that makes us absorb information more thoroughly than browsing through a website.
The school district also has been hosting weekly tours of the Helen Baker building — which will be closed if the vote passes — and the high school/junior high campus, where the addition is planned.
The tours are deliberately planned for the school day, so people can get a realistic look at the learning conditions for our children at the Helen Baker school.
We know that daytime tours are not ideal for people with day jobs, but we know that the school’s administrators would be happy to provide tours at other times upon request. A tour was offered after Monday night’s forum. It proved to be surprisingly informative. A casual visitor may not notice all the needs at Helen Baker — from a crumbling wall in the kitchen to outdated and inefficient windows — but a guided tour by someone knowledgeable of the issues is a true eye-opener.
It is just the first of April and the election is still about six weeks away, but spring is a fleeting season. Between the planting of crops, the spring sports season and all the other activities that spring brings, those six weeks will fly by.
Please take a couple of hours to attend a forum, take a tour or make a phone call to an administrator and get updated on what’s happening. It will be well worth your time.