HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/15/2026 07.. Distributed at the meetingDistributed at Meeting:
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September 2026
Dear Mayor, Councilmembers, and City Manager:
Having reflected on the significance of the investment Yakima voters recently approved
through the school district's capital bond, 1 wanted to share a perspective as both a citizen
and one of Yakima's largest employers. While the projects themselves have understandably
been discussed through the lens of education, I believe they deserve to be viewed through
a broader civic lens as well.
A recent Governing magazine article described public school districts as one of America's
most overlooked economic development engines. The author argued that communities
readily recognize the value of schools in educating children, yet too often overlook the role
they play in driving local economies, strengthening neighborhoods, supporting businesses,
and serving as essential public infrastructure. That perspective resonated with me because
it so accurately reflects our Yakima reality.
Yakima voters approved an investment of approximately $200 million that will be spent over
the coming years constructing, modernizing, and improving public facilities throughout our
city. That investment will engage contractors, electricians, plumbers, equipment operators,
suppliers, landscapers, technology providers, and countless other professionals and
businesses whose work contributes to the strength of our regional economy. It will also
generate economic activity that extends well beyond the construction sites themselves,
benefiting local businesses and supporting jobs throughout the community.
Yet the economic impact tells only part of the story.
These projects also represent lasting investments in neighborhoods across our city.
The community's investment will replace Hoover Elementary School and Garfield
Elementary School with modern learning environments designed to serve families for
generations. It will modernize aging heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems,
replace roofs nearing the end of their useful life, improve accessibility for students and
community members, resurface school tracks, install new turf at Zaepfel Stadium, and
complete numerous infrastructure improvements that will extend the usefulness and
longevity of public facilities throughout Yakima.
Every one of these projects reaches far beyond the walls of a school.
Modern public facilities strengthen neighborhoods. They encourage additional private
investment, enhance community pride, improve safety, provide gathering places for civic
organizations and families, and reinforce confidence in the future of the surrounding area.
They become landmarks where children learn, neighbors gather, community events are
held, and —in times of emergency —public resources are mobilized.
In that sense, investments in schools are not unlike investments in streets, parks, utilities,
public safety, or other civic infrastructure. They create value that extends well beyond their
original purpose.
The recent bond election also comrnunicated something equally meaningfu
Thousands of Yakima voters chose to invest in facilities that many of them may never
personally use because they believe in the future of this community. Their vote was an
expression of confidence —not only in public education, but in Yakima itself.
Together, we share responsibility for attracting families, supporting local businesses,
developing tomorrow's workforce, strengthening neighborhoods, and enhancing the quality
of life that makes Yakima a community where people want to live, work, and invest.
Viewed through that broader lens, this investment is far more than a school construction
program. It is one of the most significant public investments our community will make in
Yakima's future for many years to come.
Our partnership has long reflected a simple truth: when Yakima succeeds, our schools
succeed, and when our schools are strong, Yakima becomes an even stronger place to live,
work, raise a family, and build a business.
Every generation inherits the responsibility to leave its community stronger than it found it.
Roads, parks, utilities, public safety, and schools are all expressions of that responsibility.
They are investments not only in infrastructure, but in people and in the future they will build
together.
Yakima's voters have made that investment.
As these projects move forward, I look forward to continuing our partnership in ensuring that
their benefits extend far beyond classrooms —strengthening neighborhoods, supporting
economic vitality, and helping make Yakima an even better place to live for generations to
come.
Thank you for your continued partnership and for your steadfast commitment to the future of
Yakima.
lesiectfu
Trevor 9r'eene, Ed.D.
Super=t`ntendent
Yakima School Distric