Please support the school levy

This week, I received a ballot in the mail to vote on a tax levy for the Wahkiakum School District. I marked the box to support the levy.

They call it an enrichment levy. The state legislature has determined that the state is paying for the cost of basic education, and voters in local school districts can use these special levies to enrich their programs.

For the Wahkiakum School District, enrichment means future technology needs; music instruments; transportation to band competitions and athletic events; safety equipment; for grass and water on the sports fields; care of the gym floor; upkeep on bleachers and bandstands; field trips; paying for overnight lodging for students at out of area events; keeping class sizes small; for teachers not covered by state funding but needed to offer a comprehensive curriculum; and funding for para-educators, custodians, IT staff, and substitutes, and so on.

Enrichment? To me it sounds like the programs people expect schools to provide.

The levy money isn't wasted. Over the years, the district has provided good education for its students. Graduates include, doctors, contractors, lieutenant colonels, timber fallers, airline pilots, architects, interior designers, teachers and professors, nurses, entrepreneurs, computer engineers and programers, river pilots, lawyers, fire fighters and deputy sheriffs, and, well, you get the picture.

The history of public education is interesting. In the 19th Century, people banded together to form public schools supported by property taxes. As the 20th Century rolled around, the American public had a good standard of education that enabled the development of the country into a world power.

Supporters of this year's proposed levy point out that it simply replaces an existing levy, and that the levy rate is one of the lowest in the state. It's not extravagant.

I hope you join me in supporting our school district and its students. We'll all benefit in the long run.