In 2002, me and my husband decided to move from San Diego, CA to Whatcom County. We had people who grew up around this area tell us that Ferndale was “in the sticks” and we should only look in Lynden or Bellingham for houses. However, when we arrived we heard from the Realtors that Ferndale has the best schools. As a pregnant woman at the time, I was interested in knowing that information but had no idea how much of an impact the quality of a public school would have on me and my children. We chose Ferndale due to a few Realtors (literally more than one) telling us about the schools and the affordable home prices at the time. My family happened to live in the boundaries of Cascadia and we enjoyed the experience of knowing our kids were in a safe, well secured building with a lot of features to promote learning. Is it the perfect school? No, but as a parent and also someone who has recently worked in that building (2017-2018) I can tell you that the building functions well for LEARNING.
If a family decided to move here now, what would a Realtor say? If the Realtor is honest they would disclose to the potential buyer that the schools are full of great teachers (yes, I am one of them) but a lot of the buildings are currently in need of major maintenance and security improvements. Do you think that will draw more families to our community? As a voter, ask yourself if you wanted to sell your home, why would someone want to buy your home instead of in Blaine, Lynden, Meridian, or Nooksack/Everson? Those districts now have nice high schools or are working on one to support the education of their children. Try to remember what decisions helped you decide where to settle down to raise a family. I know I am voting yes because I believe students deserve to be safe and secure in a facility that promotes their learning. I am doing it for my children, your children/grandchildren, and those that will fill our schools in the future. Don’t think of yesterday, or today but what the impact will be many tomorrows from now.
Kirsten Cox
Ferndale
Letters to the Editor submitted to My Ferndale News are the opinions of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher of My Ferndale News.