Let’s not have a repeat of the 1970s

I am a former employee of Marysville School District. I was the head engineer in maintenance. I started working for the district when levies failed seven times in a row. Each year a levy failed, the school district had to tighten its budget. Support staff as well as certified staff was laid off. Liberty Elementary was finished being remodeled and it was closed for two years. Several programs were cut and classroom size went up to between 35 and 38 kids.

The maintenance suffered also. A fan belt could not be changed unless it was broken in half. The fan shaft bearings and motor bearings would fail, driving up repair costs very quickly. A spare parts inventory dwindled to almost nothing, causing longer down-time for repairs.

When the community had a change of heart and started passing levies and building bonds for new schools, the school district was getting back in shape. New schools were being built, teachers were being hired and classroom size started to drop. Support staff were increased for maintenance, grounds and the buildings. The school district also obtained a AAA rating.

The maintenance and operation levy is replacing one that is coming to an end. If the school levies start failing again, do we want to see a repeat of the early 1970s? We need more schools to meet the increase in student population. I suppose a new high school to help share a 3,000-plus student population is in more demand.

I’m sure there are parents who went to school here as kids and remember what it was like when the levies were failing. I went to school in Marysville when I was a kid, in the 1960s, and the community kept the levies passing so I could have a good education. Now I can give back to the community in the same way to provide a good education for the kids of today.

I guess the bottom line is this: If something is worth having, is it worth paying the price for? It is for me. That is why I have voted yes for the May 20 levy.

Marysville