Hopkins friends…
I want to share a perspective that I hope helps people pause and think a little deeper about this school bond proposal May 5.
Besides the other neccessary upgrades in this bond, I am going to focus on the auditorium since that is what some people are upset about.
The arts programs in our schools…band, choir, theater, visual arts are not small, extra add-ons. They are some of the largest programs in the district, reaching a huge number of students every single year. MOST of the students in our district are in one of those programs.
These.programs.matter.
I’ve seen it firsthand. I used to teach, and also direct musicals in this district, and I’ll never forget the year a student’s foot went straight through a hole in the stage. That’s the reality of what we’re asking our kids to perform on. It’s not just outdated, it’s unsafe and quite honestly a miserable experience for performer and audience member alike. A cafeteria is not designed to hold large audiences or support proper productions. Our students deserve better than “making do.”
But this is about more than a building. (Not to mention the safety it will bring for the several students and staff who have to walk between both schools everyday)
It’s about what happens inside that space. When you think about what makes life meaningful and what makes us feel alive… it’s often not a math equation or a worksheet. It’s the moments that move us. The song that gives you chills. The performance that brings you to tears. The painting that makes you feel something you can’t quite put into words.
The arts are where so many kids first discover that part of themselves…their voice, their creativity, their ability to express something real. It’s where they learn confidence, teamwork, discipline, and courage. It’s where they learn how to feel, how to process, and how to share that with others in a healthy, meaningful way.
And when that’s nurtured at a young age, it doesn’t just create better performers. It creates better humans. Humans who can connect, express and bring goodness and creativity into the world.
There is also real science behind this… music and the arts support brain development in powerful ways, strengthening areas tied to language, science, memory and even math. These programs don’t take away from academics, they enhance them.
School is not just about memorizing facts. It’s about learning how to learn. It’s about building confident, capable people who can collaborate, communicate, and think critically. The programs that would use this auditorium do all of that while also reinforcing literacy, science and math.
And let’s be honest — kids need a reason to want to be at school. When students feel inspired, seen and connected, they show up differently. Take that away, and learning in every other subject becomes that much harder.
The real world doesn’t just need people who can do math problems. It needs people who can work together, communicate, process emotions and contribute positively to society.
That’s what the arts help foster.
I also want to be clear — I don’t have kids in this district. I don’t teach here any more. I don’t even live here. I have no personal stake in this outcome.
And still, in the district I live in, which I also hold no personal ties to, I vote yes every single time there is a school bond that improves the experience, safety and opportunities for students. A district that can’t improve stays in the same place and eventually wears down and becomes unsafe, looks terrible to those who visit and destroys morale.
Because this isn’t just about a building or 20-30 dollars a month that you are already paying without an increase.
It’s about the kind of humans we are raising and the kind of world we want them to create.
To me, without question…the humans in those buildings are more important than saving a few dollars a month. I get it… $ is HARD right now. But there willl be NO tax increase for anyone.
When you make your decision…I urge you to vote for the humans who walk those halls, perform on that “stage”, sit on those benches, use those locker rooms and drip sweat on those athletic fields.
Meg Vos
