This fall, voters in Willamina will go to the polls a fourth time to weigh in on a 20-year, $8.5 million school bond measure, while Yamhill-Carlton will seek a 20-year, $21 million bond for their next round of school improvements. Meanwhile, Amity Fire District is asking voters to pass a $3.75 million bond for fire rigs and new stations.

Here’s our take on these money measures.

It’s time for Willamina to take up the challenge and support much-needed renovations and additions to schools. The district has tried different approaches since 2005, from proposing an entirely new high school to a division of funds among several district schools. The school board responded to voters by decreasing the asking price another $700,000 to $8.5 million — now far below the one-time $13.5 million proposal — while still keeping a common sense building plan. At a cost of $180 a year on a home with tax assessment value of $120,000, this bond measure would cost less than 50 cents a day. Certainly, the kids are worth it.

Our call for Yamhill-Carlton isn’t as easy. There already is 20-year bonded debt from a 2001 school measure, and Carlton-area voters added $1.51 per $1,000 in 2006 for new fire facilities. Passage of this bond would put the average district homeowner at $460 per year for school construction bonds, plus the cost of school operations. There are clear school facility needs for a growing Y-C School District, and this is a quality plan for long-term solutions. It’s going to be an uphill campaign for proponents to persuade voters who already are feeling stretched at tax time.

The Amity Fire District bond appears sound. The current facilities are woefully inadequate, and for 30 cents a day — $126 annually for the average household — this bond would construct two fire stations and purchase one or two pieces of used equipment. Seems like a good call.