Dear Menlo Park City Council:

At tomorrow night's city council meeting, I urge you to immediately grant the Oak Knoll encroachment permits to the Menlo Park City School District.

Over 70% of Menlo Park voters approved the 2006 bond measure to upgrade our Menlo Park schools - the taxpayers and voters of Menlo Park want better schools for our children. The school board has worked with parents, teachers, community members, and the city staff over the past two years to develop these plans.  There have been many public meetings.   Lots of people have contributed ideas and suggestions to the plans in these meetings.  The plan that has been developed is a good plan.  It meets the needs of our growing population of children in a way that is sensitive to the needs of the surrounding community.

Over the past 6 years, enrollment in our schools has grown by 25%.  This year's kindergarten class was the largest enrolled in the district in at least 20 years.  While construction of these facilities is delayed, construction costs escalate.  It is time to act and move this project forward.  Further delay will only harm our children and our community.  

This is an opportunity for you to exercise your leadership. Your supportive comments to staff will convey a clear message to the community that you support excellence in our city's schools as much as we, taxpayers and voters, do.  Our children deserve this.
 

This is very important.
 

Thanks, Sarah Hinman Whittle Received on Tue Oct 7 18:15:13 2008