On behalf of the Noon Kiwanis Club, I want to thank the Four Peaks Rotary Club and especially its president, Todd Harris, for organizing the painting effort at the future middle school campus.

It was a true community effort this past Saturday when more than 100 volunteers gathered – from young students to the elderly – to paint more than a dozen classrooms that have sat idle for a decade.

The ambitious service project was well organized, ran smoothly and generated friendly conversation along with a fun activity.

As our superintendent, Doctor J, pointed out – this is why we live in Fountain Hills and this is why the spirit of volunteerism is alive and well in the Hills.

Sure, it saved the School District an estimated $90,000, but more importantly it brought together a diverse group of residents willing to pitch in and help how they were able.

It’s also important to remember that we need to support our schools at the ballot box when the time comes.

Getting donations, organizing volunteer labor and pitching bake sales are not the way to operate a fully functional and accountable school system.

The district is taking on a massive consolidation effort that was needed for many reasons – but mostly to better serve our young families.

We need to trust Doctor J and the excellent team he has assembled to further improve the district and the education presented to our students.

All of our principals are coming back and a very high percentage of teachers are returning to greet their students in August.

It’s time for the entire community to get behind our local schools – and not just with paint brushes and rollers.

Thanks again Todd and Four Peaks Rotary! Kudos to all who helped.