Trust and Confidence Goes Both Ways

Hello,

I’m writing to share my trust in the board and vocalize my expectation that the board votes to approve the bond package proposed by the Bond Development Committee, which includes rebuilding Lake Grove Elementary on its current site.

I understand that after the intense engagement last spring into fall, it seems quiet around here. Where are the parades? Where are the testimonies? The buttons and signs? (Well, the signs are still up, but more on that in a moment…)

Please don’t equate quiet with a lack of interest, support, or even passion – rather, consider the relative quiet a sign of trust. 

Over the past year, I am proud of the way the board and the community put in the work to come to a shared understanding and commitment to each other. After all the due diligence – the community-wide polling, the careful financial assessment, a hard look at population and transit data, and very earnest engagement on behalf of the board – the trust that had eroded last spring is built back up, and for my part, my confidence in the School Board to do the right thing for our kids and community is stronger than ever. I sincerely thank you for your part in re-establishing trust and rebuilding our relationship.

And I understand that trust goes both ways. None of this will mean anything if we can’t close the deal. With that in mind, I commit to doing everything in my power to renew this tax-neutral capital bond, assuming it includes the proposed rebuild of Lake Grove Elementary on-site. I am not one for half-measures, and I will not leave the hard part left undone.

While we’re not a monolith and I cannot speak for the rest of the individuals across Lake Oswego who answered the call to Save Lake Grove, I’d wager to say we all feel similarly. We are poised and waiting, ready to repurpose our signs for a new broader calling, re-energize our community, and get out the vote in November.

We are not quiet because we have abandoned the cause. Rather, we are collectively holding our breath, waiting to receive our next mission: Renew the bond.

I trust the board to carry out the will of the people. I trust the board with my children’s futures. I trust the board to do what’s right. And you can trust us to take this over the finish line. 

Thank you.

Teresa Aguilera
Parent of current and future Lake Grove Elementary students

Submitted for written and in-person testimony 3/10/25 LOSD School Board Meeting