Redmond voters will get a chance this November to support a $70 million bond to improve schools. It deserves support.

Most of the money will go toward a needed replacement of Lynch Elementary School, about $35 million. The rest is spread in improvements across the district. One major priority is to give every elementary school a more secure entrance where visitors must be buzzed in. There are additional plans to eliminate multiple entry points at middle and high schools, improve technology infrastructure, replace a roof, add cameras for elementary school playgrounds, add or improve air conditioning at some schools and more.

The replacement of Lynch will add a bit more elementary capacity — about 150 students. District officials project that will mean the schools will have enough capacity through 2024.

All that costs money. Property owners in the Redmond School District are paying $2.45 per $1,000 of assessed value. The proposed bond would add about another 54 cents per $1,000 of assessed value for a total anticipated rate of $2.99 per $1,000. The increase on a home with an assessed value of $200,000 would be about $9 month.

It’s typical with school bonds in Oregon that school districts don’t specify exactly what will be done with the money. Some specifics are mentioned. There isn’t usually an exact list. That can make some voters uncomfortable.

But districts have to do that, because as hard as they try to get good estimates, the economy can turn. Redmond voters should be reassured that the district does have a list of projects ranked by priority. It is available at redmondschoolbond.org. The Redmond district is also creating an independent oversight committee made of Redmond residents that will oversee the use of bond money.

This bond may be criticized, because it won’t put one more teacher in the classroom. That’s true. School districts in Oregon pay for their staff costs through the money they get from the state. Some districts, such as Sisters, supplement that with an additional levy. Oregon schools rely on voters, though, to support bonds for construction and maintenance of school buildings.

It’s up to Redmond voters to step up and provide a safe, secure and comfortable environment for students to learn. Support the bond.