Letters Jan. 28

Hallmark

I want to encourage a “yes” vote on the school district levy.

Our levy committee has planned with the administration and staff a reasonable and responsible budget supplement that is necessary to maintain our community as a desirable place to raise a family.

Consistent levy support makes it possible to extend the curriculum by providing richer and deeper courses, allows experiences in band and choir that have made these experiences special, provides leadership opportunities in ASB, FFA and FBLA, and allows for classroom needs that don’t fit static state formulas.

In addition, it maintains athletic and activity programs for this generation of young people that has served past generations so well.

It also adds to our buildings, grounds, and transportation maintenance quality we have come to appreciate.

As a former superintendent, I admired the involvement of community in planning, and overseeing our levy. This level of involvement will continue to characterize our schools. It has resulted in a high degree of professionalism among our staff, increased efficiency in daily operations, a positive energy in our hallways, and events filled with enthusiastic supporters.

Stable and consistent funding of schools is a hallmark of a community that has high expectations for themselves and their children. We have earned this reputation by consistently stepping up to meet the educational needs of our youth and need to continue for this funding cycle.

Don Cox,

Colfax

Building

foundations

I am writing in support of the Colfax School District Maintenance and Operation Levy request on the February ballot. My husband and I have two children at JES and since the older one started Kindergarten six years ago I have had the privilege of being involved in various areas of the school district: as a room parent, PTO member and volunteer, JES classroom volunteer, and substitute office assistant in both schools. That involvement, coupled with the experiences our children have had over the years, prompted me to stand in support of this levy. I will share a little bit for those who may not yet have made a decision on how to vote.

We have an outstanding school district, evidenced by our teachers, staff, and administration.

On a regular basis I am impressed by the commitment of our teachers to reach every child with whom they come in contact - they care very deeply about their students’ education and personal situations.

I have witnessed teachers investing their own time and resources for individual students on many occasions.

The support staff in both schools are equally caring of the students’ needs and experiences, going out of their way to make each student feel valued and becoming involved at a personal level for some who desperately need that extra attention.

This year we have a unique situation with our administration in that both principals and the superintendent are new to our school district.

While this could have been a scary position, everything I have witnessed causes me to be completely confident in their leadership.

Having spoken personally with each one, I can see the same level of commitment to our students’ education and personal circumstances that our quality teachers and staff have shown me.

They have also demonstrated they are willing and able to work together for the good of the school and the community.

Passage of the levy will assist these educators in their effort to continue and build upon this solid foundation.

Our two children are as different and night and day in many respects.

We have one who loves to play sports and be involved in those types of social activities.

The other finds great satisfaction in discovering how things work and taking on leadership roles around the school.

Like our diverse children, the many and varied students of our district have opportunities to join educational clubs like the Knowledge Bowl or Battle of the Books, sports teams at the junior and senior high levels, and leadership groups like JES student leadership, FFA and FBLA, in addition to their basic education.

Without the levy funds, the variety of support programs available to our students would be significantly cut, limiting the extracurricular experiences for many.

Not every athlete will go on to compete at a higher level, just like not every student leader will go on to hold supervisory positions outside of our school system, but whether they do or not they will build upon those foundations as they grow into adulthood.

The climate of our education system is changing. Much is different from when previous generations were students, and there are many unknowns going forward. What we do know is that the State of Washington does not fully fund our school district and they are putting more of the financial burden on each district than in the past. While it is increased over previous ones to keep up with inflation, this Maintenance and Operation Levy is not a new one for taxpayers; rather it is a replacement for the existing one when it expires. Please consider the opportunities we can provide for the students of our district and vote “Yes” on this levy!

Dana Repp,

Colfax