Letter to the editor: Please support the Battle Ground school levy

Posted

I am writing in support of the upcoming levy in the Battle Ground Public Schools. 

I have been a student, parent, educator and community member in this district for many years. I always appreciated the time, attention and support my teachers, administrators and school personnel gave me throughout my education years as a student. I went into the education field because of a strong desire to help students succeed in school and life. It is awesome to be able to develop strong connections with students and help them achieve their goals. This past year has been incredibly challenging for schools and families with the pandemic. I applaud and admire teachers and parents for the hard work and effort that has gone into trying to provide continuity of instruction remotely. This is not easy for anyone. It is important that our students are getting back to school and having the important routine that is helpful for their academic and socioemotional well-being.

I was encouraged to see that our school board understands the challenges our community has faced this past year with many people losing their jobs or not having steady work. The decision to use reserve funds in the district budget and lower the levy rate is a hard decision to make but the right one in being sensitive to the times the community is facing. So why does the school district need levy funds? The levy is not new and rather a replacement of the previous levy that was run in 2017. This helps to fund technology, staff, building maintenance and instructional programs in all of our schools. Some of the key points about the school levy include:

• Replacement levy will decrease the tax rate in the first year (2022) to $1.95 per $1,000.

• The district plans to dip into its rainy day reserve fund and drop the tax rate as low as it can the first year.

• Battle Ground Public Schools has the lowest property tax rate of all K-12 districts in Clark County.



• The levy will allow the district to maintain critical student programs and activities not fully funded by the state and to maintain facilities.

• The levy will be for four years, 2022–2025.

• After the first year, the replacement levy rate will go to a projected rate of $2.20 per $1,000, but will still be less than the current levy rate.

If you have additional questions I encourage district citizens to check out the Battle Ground Public School website: battlegroundps.org/levy/

Ballots will be coming out on Jan. 22 and must be postmarked and mailed in no later than Tuesday Feb. 9, 2021. I urge you to continue to support our students and programs in the Battle Ground Public Schools by voting yes by February 9. Thank you!