Editor, the VOICE:
On behalf of the Voice of Tahoma Education Committee, I am writing to ask for your full support of Tahoma School District’s Propositions 1, 2, & 3 on the February 13 election ballot. We are an independent group of parents and community members who volunteer their time to organize, fundraise, and campaign for the approval of school bond and levy measures.
I ask you first to please vote YES on Proposition 1, the Replacement Education Programs and Operations Levy. Washington is making strides toward funding basic education, but there is still a need to raise money locally. The legislature intentionally permitted school districts to continue using local levy dollars to provide programs and staffing not included in the state’s definition of basic education to comply with the McCleary Decision, such as special education, teacher training, extracurricular activities, classroom technology, and new buses.
In a letter to the Tahoma School District, our 5th District legislators, representing bipartisan points of view, have publicly endorsed Tahoma’s Replacement EP&O levy, citing that the state funding bill has different impacts for different districts across the state, and that each district needs to work through the implications thoughtfully. “The $1.50 levy the Tahoma School Board is seeking thus represents a local tax cut for property owners, while the additional state money provided in the bill will still leave the school district with more money for students. In our view, that is an excellent result. We therefore are excited to support your levy request, and look forward to working with you to see it passed by voters.”
Next I ask to please vote YES on Proposition 2, the Replacement Technology Levy. I think it’s important to know Technology is not fully funded by the state. Not even close. It does not fall under our state’s definition of Basic Education. Without local levy dollars, there is not enough money to maintain the technology students now receive. In addition, this replacement levy is proposed at a 7 cents per $1,000 reduction in 2019 and less each year after that.
Finally, I ask voters to please vote YES on Proposition 3, the Bus Levy. It has been 15 years since Tahoma asked voters for a levy to buy new buses. This is a student and driver safety issue. We need to retire and replace buses that were purchased in the early 1990’s. Changes in state funding have not provided any additional money to purchase new buses. As stated by Senator Mark Mullet, “In terms of transportation, I am committed to passing legislation to clarify that if the state is not paying for all of your transportation needs, that districts need to be allowed to use local levy dollars for this purpose…”
Finally, please note that the Vote YES campaign has been endorsed by the City of Maple Valley, Maple Valley-Black Diamond Chamber of Commerce, our 5th District Legislators representing bipartisan points of view, Tahoma Education Association, Tahoma Public School Employees, and several Tahoma PTA’s and PTO’s.
Thank you to this community for always putting our Tahoma Kids First and voting Yes, Yes, Yes to maintain the Tahoma standard for a Beyond Basic Education!
Angela Stewart, Voice of Tahoma Education Chair
