To all Federal Way City Council members:

On Jan. 10, The Mirror featured a front-page article about a recent vote to ask the state for $5 million for a performing arts center.

While I support the arts in our community, I was struck by the irony in the timing of that decision. Just above that article on the front page was a piece on the state of our schools. If what that article says is true, the proposed state budget will cut millions of dollars from education for next year. The cuts will mean a loss of over $5 million to the Federal Way School District.

I am appalled by the recent action of the city council given the state of our schools. Council member Dini Duclos is quoted as saying: “It’s perfectly legitimate…because every other city is doing it.” Does that make it right, just because everyone else is doing it? I don’t think so!

As the political leaders for our community, isn’t it your obligation to look out for the best interests of our city? That you can agree to go to the state asking for $5 million for something that may or may not ever happen while we know for a fact that our schools will be losing large amounts of funding is irresponsible.

More students in our district qualify for free or reduced lunch than those who do not qualify. What that says to me is that it is crucial for you as our city leaders, and me as a citizen of this community, to stand up and speak for those who do not have a voice — our children. It also means that funding for our schools is critical for the success of the kids in Federal Way. It is imperative to educate our children if we want to reduce our crime rate, teen pregnancies and gang-related activity, just to name a few. The children of today are the leaders of tomorrow. If we allow the state to make these cuts to school funding, while supporting possible projects such as the performing arts center, we are negligent and we are failing an entire generation of students.

Monte Powell commented that the money “is going to be spent, you might as well spend it here.” I love that our city council is listening to the voice of the community, but I am saddened that a $50 million performing arts venue of the future would take precedence over an immediate crisis situation within our schools.

I understand that your role as city council members is to look out for the best interests of our city in its entirety. As a resident of Federal Way for over nine years, let me extend a thank you for all that you do. This letter is in no way meant to discredit or insult the work you are doing. However, as a parent and a concerned citizen of our city, I cannot sit silently while our children are being forgotten.

I agree with Superintendent Tom Murphy 100 percent that education needs to be priority number one. Many of the kids in our district receive two meals each day from school in addition to reading, writing and arithmetic. Our schools have the opportunity and responsibility to give each child in our city every possibility to succeed. It is our obligation to provide them quality teachers, resources and programs in which to find that success.

I do not reject the idea of a performing arts center in concept. I just don’t support the timing of such an endeavor. We will have to rob Peter to feed Paul, and in this situation, that means we are robbing our children of an education.

I urge you to be the voice of our children and make them your priority. I understand that as a city council you do not directly speak with/for the powers that be in our state capital, but as community leaders, I plead with you to set the example and put education first.

Stacy Bigby

Federal Way