I am a Page resident, grandparent of students, and landowner in the Orchard district. I think there were 103 kids in the Page school when my kids started there in 1993. A few years later, families started transferring out as classes got smaller. Fourteen years later, Page had four students and five employees, and they closed.

Orchard has 79 students in K-8 this year. I know that Orchard has enough money, but if the Summerland school bond doesn’t pass and families leave, which they will, I don’t think the Orchard school will even make it 10 more years on their own.

I was a Page representative who helped get the Summerland Golf Course going in 1992 or so. People told us it would be weeds and sunflowers in five years, but the whole area came together and got it done.

I think we can do this, too.

Barry Kelly