Ridgefield resident Heidi Pozzo shares her thoughts on funding for needed band room acoustic upgrades at Ridgefield High School

Heidi Pozzo 
for Clark County Today 

In its week in review newsletter for March 29, 2024, the Ridgefield School District shared a video explaining why the band room acoustic upgrades are needed. Noise levels have reached the point where they are in the hearing loss range.  

That’s a problem. 

If you have ever worked in an industrial setting, there are a variety of safety issues that need to be addressed to comply with OSHA regulations. Noise issues are one of them.  

Safety issues should not require a bond to fix them. Especially when the cost is $200,000. 

It could be that the time in the room is not sufficient to have a technical OSHA violation. And usually hearing protection is the remedy. But earplugs are probably not the desired remedy when teaching or taking band class. 

This situation should be addressed now from operational funds. 

Safety is not something that should be trifled with. When you work in industrial settings, you’ll come across people that have lost digits and limbs, as well as some with hearing loss. And you may have the unfortunate situation of knowing someone who was killed in an industrial accident as I have. 

With the desire to provide pathways for different careers, there should also be training on what good safety programs look like and how to spot employers that do well on that front and those that do not. 

It’s easy to see when you know what to look for.  

What sort of message does it send to the students, staff and community that Ridgefield School District doesn’t take the safety of those in the band room seriously to address a known issue unless a bond proposition passes? 

Heidi Pozzo has been a Ridgefield resident for 16 years. She is a concerned citizen who would like students to get a good education and thinks we can do it in a more cost-effective way.

---

Also read:

• 
  POLL: Is it time for new leadership at Vancouver City Hall?
  A new weekly poll asks whether Vancouver voters should prioritize replacing the mayor and city council in the 2025 election.
• 
  Opinion: How will the majority party’s new budget and tax proposals affect you?
  Rep. John Ley critiques the state’s proposed 2025-27 budgets, warning of record-breaking tax hikes and economic impacts.
• 
  Opinion: Washington’s EV sales far short of next year’s state mandate
  Todd Myers highlights how Washington’s EV sales fall short of next year’s mandate, raising concerns over rising car prices and limited options.
• 
  Letter: ‘Our state and local governments need to learn to live within their means’
  Camas resident Lauren Colas voices strong opposition to Proposition 1 and other tax proposals, calling for state and local governments to rein in spending.
• 
  Opinion: Bill limiting notifications for parents passes committee
  A Washington Policy Center column critiques SB 5181, which would reduce parental notification rights in Washington public schools.