To the editor:

Voters of Bristol and Warren this November will be asked to approve up to $200 million in bonds to rebuild the high school and make necessary repairs to our elementary and middle schools.

Like many I have been doing my research, asking questions, and raising concerns throughout the process and ultimately, I’ve decided to support the school bond for the following reasons.

The state is never going to cover more of the cost. The deadline to authorize new school construction bonds to receive bonus reimbursement from the state is June 2024. But unless taxpayers want to pay for another special election, then our last chance to get our share is this election in November. The state will reimburse up to 83% of the bond that Bristol and Warren will vote on this year. Next year, and for every year to come, the reimbursement rate will be capped at 63%, meaning that any investment we choose to make will put taxpayers on the hook for the extra 20%.

Our schools need this investment and our students deserve it. Bristol-Warren schools are full of maintenance and infrastructure problems. When I was a student at Mt. Hope, it flooded regularly, the heat wouldn’t work in winter, and the air conditioning wouldn’t work in summer. We shouldn’t expect that our teachers can teach in those conditions and we shouldn’t expect students can learn in them either.

Taxpayers will not save money by rejecting this bond because as the schools continue to age, they are going to require more and more maintenance that will only continue to become more expensive due to inflation.

All over the state other cities and towns are taking out bonds to upgrade or rebuild schools because they realize they can’t afford to pass up this opportunity. It would be disastrously short sighted for Bristol-Warren students to get left behind in outdated and inadequate facilities.

I encourage every voter to do their research and make an informed decision to support this investment in our future.

Derrik Trombley
510 Child St.