March 7, 2023 is the date to vote on the North Tama School Bond. As a lifelong Traer resident, with two young children soon to be starting school at North Tama, I will be voting YES to approve the bond. Traer is a great community and is thriving. We need to ensure the school gets the necessary updates to allow it to remain open and prospering for years to come. I attended the public informational session in 2022 to learn about the improvements that will be done and how the different phases will be implemented. It had been 15 years since I had been back in the school building after graduating from North Tama. There were some improvements in the main lobby and around the gym that had been done since I had left. During this session, we toured the entire school to see areas that are in urgent need of updates. I could not believe how small and old several places around the building were. As well as so many levels making it hard for accessibility. The 1917 building is top priority to update in my mind. To do this, the high school addition is needed so the kids have somewhere to move into while it’s being built. The HVAC system is also very old and needs replaced ASAP. All of these things would be done in the first two phases to be completed around 2026. The next two phases aren’t expected until 2036-2044. We won’t have another school bond for any of the other phases. Only this first and only one. Yes, taxes will go up but in order to keep a town booming, a school is needed. I believe this bond is the right decision. If you have questions or concerns, please review the North Tama Community Schools Facebook page, website, or reach out to the school. Our town and future generations are at stake. Please get out and vote!

Heather Knebel, Traer