Levies make the difference in education
Published 9:00 pm Saturday, February 7, 2004
The Granite Falls School District is asking the voters in the school district on March 9 to vote on an operations levy and a technical levy.
Levies in the state of Washington make the difference in the quality of education that a school district can provide. Levies account for up to 24 percent of the school district’s budget. The state only funds 76 percent to 80 percent of a school district’s financial need. Without the passage of the operations and technical levies the school district will be woefully under-funded.
What happens to your family household when you trim your budget? The answer: it’s harder to provide the basic necessities. If the school district loses a portion of its budget, it will be impossible to provide the quality educational experience that the children in our community deserve. The school district has to meet the needs of all its student population and be in compliance with the mandates of the local, state and federal governments. It requires a group of dedicated administrative and teaching professionals to meet these needs.
The operations levy provides a portion of the school funds the district needs to hire, train and pay the professionals that help our district prosper. The technical levy will allow the school district to invest in and update computers and equipment. The students and teachers need to know that they are supported by the community. There is no better way of showing your support than by voting yes on both the operations and technical levies on March 9.
Lake Stevens
