Increase in rates too much; make schools work sustainable budget

The upcoming Peninsula School District levy is not justified, as more money will not solve the legacy-entitlement crisis that this and other states are facing. Unless the state addresses unfunded pension and benefit packages to the teachers’ unions, school district will always have to beg and lie to us for more funds.

The current about levy rate (2009-12) is $1.32 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. If approved, the new levy rate would increase to about $2.14 per $1,000, a whopping 60 percent increase. Even with the recent decline in property values, it’s a big jump.

The state Legislature loves it when we blindly pass levy increases. It takes the pressure off them to properly budget the state public education system.

Consider these figures: Forty-three percent of the school district’s payroll goes to non-teachers. Privatizing the food service portion saved the district a considerable amount compared to unionized kitchen help. The district’s budget has increased 6 percent every year for the past 12 years and is not sustainable. Inflation for the past 20 years is 2.5 percent. Per-student spending is at an all-time high of $9,700 a year.

Let’s privatize the bus system and custodial services and do away with expensive off-cycle special levy elections. Put it on the fall ballot.

We do have good schools. Making them use their money wisely will only make them better. I’ll be voting “no.”

Ken Manning, Gig Harbor

School district has persevered through difficult downsizing

It is sad to see the “vote no” signs going up. It is sad to think about the misperceptions and reactionary attitudes that bring forth such signs.

The Peninsula School District has done a difficult job in downsizing to reduce expenditures. We already have the lowest levy tax in Pierce County. The district is not asking to expand the budget or for new money. It desperately needs this levy to maintain what is left after the downsizing and restructuring.

The “vote no” signs reflect a knee-jerk reaction that does not acknowledge the importance of education. Our future depends on our students. In order to repair our economy, we have to have educated citizens to compete with workers throughout the world.

If we vote no, as the sign demands, we will gut 20 percent from our school funding, and it will devastate our school district and guarantee us a second-rate education for our children. That is why it is sad to see “vote no” signs pop up along our roads.

Please vote “yes” to support our schools. We cannot afford the option of voting no. We must avoid the consequences of not strengthening our educational system.

Larry and Carolyn Curles, Fox Island

Education is most important gift we can give for future generations

How long can you go without food? Not long.

Our education system, including the Peninsula School District, is living with the pain of belts so tight they may soon cut off circulation.

State cuts to education, rising fixed costs and the languishing economy have added to the woes of our school district. The superintendent and school board have cut more than $14 million out of operations since the downturn began, and teachers, staff and administrators have taken pay cuts for this year and next to make ends meet.

Now it is our turn. Education is the greatest gift each of us received from our society, and it is up to us to provide the same for our children and those of our citizenry.

My children received a very good education in Peninsula schools, attended college and graduate school and have become responsible, tax-paying citizens of our community. It would be easy to say, “I did my part.”

But when it comes to education, we need to do “our part” every day in some way. If we don’t do everything we can to make sure the latest crop of young people receive the best education we can provide, then we live with the results — and we have won’t have anyone to blame but that wonderful person who greets us in the mirror each morning: ourselves.

Rick Oldenburg, Gig Harbor

Replacement levy will help to uphold our high-quality education standards

Throughout history, quality communities are judged, in a large part, by the excellence of their education system. The Gig Harbor area is not only a great place to live and raise families, it also has been known for its high-quality education system.

The upcoming levy replacement vote will go a long way to help uphold that reputation if it passes, or diminish it if it fails.

Can our education system be improved? Of course it can. But cutting back on these funds is not the way to accomplish it. Does anyone like increased taxes? Of course not. But as the title states, this is a replacement levy for the existing one that is expiring.

I urge everyone to vote for this levy on Feb. 14th to demonstrate that we want our community to continue to be a place where we are all proud to live.

Jon H. Kvinsland, DDS, Gig Harbor

Vote ‘yes’ for school district replacement levy

I thank The Peninsula Gateway for enhanced information on the school district levy issue coming before the taxpayers Feb. 14. One would think that educators would understand how to provide total transparency of fiscal issues so taxpayers of the lowest common denominator could understand them.

Taxpayers, particularly in this economy, want clear assurance that requested funding is reasonable, and that they are getting value for their money. Of these two measures, “reasonable” is most easily transmitted to the taxpayer via a cost-per-student per-year comparison between school districts, not a comparison of levy rates, which are highly influenced by differences in district property values.

Why not just publish the cost per student, per year for all 20 school districts to make their point?
There is still time to communicate the facts.

Mike Hirko, Gig Harbor

A ‘yes’ vote for schools will help build a great community

As a local businessman, I take interest in the Peninsula School District and its operations. The PSD spends less than the state average per student but performs markedly above average in student achievement. That’s because the district is frugally and effectively managed.

The proposed levy will fund 28 percent of the district’s budget for 2013 through 2016. It will pay for 20 percent of the certificated staff, 40 percent of custodial and clerical staff, 85 percent of technology staff, 100 percent of capital maintenance projects, the district’s share of athletics and all school health technicians. It will fund most textbooks, instructional materials, educational supplies, equipment replacement, school security and emergency preparedness.

The projected tax rates of $2.14 to $2.38 per $1,000 of assessed property value will be lower than the 20-year average.

Opponents opine that more money doesn’t equate to better education and waste must be cut. While there is some waste, it amounts to a very small percentage of the district budget.

Without levy funds, the district won’t be able to efficiently maintain facilities, causing future waste. Without the funds, the district will lose the improvements it’s achieved up to now. Defunding schools won’t make them better.

Inadequate school funding results in greater future costs and lost opportunities. Gutting school athletics and music programs impedes achievement and increases dropout rates. That diminishes property values, retards economic growth and grows poverty with the concomitant increase in crime.
Great schools are a community’s future. Vote “yes” on the levy to build a great community.

Edward C. Robison, P.E., S.E., Gig Harbor

Peninsula Athletic Association encourages ‘yes’ vote for Peninsula schools

On Feb. 14, the Peninsula School District is holding a levy vote for a significant portion of school district operations. The replacement levy will provide the necessary funding to keep our schools running at the current levels.

For more than 60 years, Peninsula Athletic Association, a non-profit recreation program, has flourished from a partnership with the Peninsula School District, along with many other community programs. The use of district facilities has been a very vital part of the success of our athletic programs, clinics and classes for both children and adults. We could not have been so successful, if not for that support.

We are very much aware of the staff and resources that it takes to keep the gyms and fields in good condition, and the effort that it takes with scheduling our programs. We have been through years when levies have failed and seen the negative impact that it has on the facilities, the school district athletic and physical education programs and our community programs.

As state funding has dwindled for school districts in the past few years, this levy has become increasingly important for basic services. The PSD has worked hard to balance the budget and cut millions of dollars in expenditures, which includes administrative, maintenance and teaching positions. Remaining employees have agreed to salary reductions. We need to support their efforts.

We urge you to support the Peninsula School District, not only for the reasons stated above, but because our kids and families deserve the opportunity for an excellent education and a well-rounded choice for activities of all kinds.

Sandra Kern, executive director, Peninsula Athletic Association, Gig Harbor

Peninsula School District doing a good job with taxpayer funds

My children have attended private schools their whole life, but our family recently had experience with the Gig Harbor High public school system as we consider next year for our eighth-grade daughter.

We attended many of the open houses for private schools in Tacoma, and our daughter shadowed students at several. She also spent time in the Gig Harbor High classrooms. Both our daughter and we have been very impressed with the quality of the Gig Harbor High teachers we have met. The quality of the education possible at GHHS was amazing.

Education is expensive, and the upcoming levy vote should be evaluated thoroughly for merit. But Gig Harbor has a wonderful public school system, and quality education does take money.

I can assure anyone on the fence regarding the cost of the levy, from our family’s perspective, the school system seems to be doing a good job being conscientious stewards of taxpayer money.

Avery Bevin, Gig Harbor

School district has protected quality of education it provides our students

I am in support of a “yes” vote for the Peninsula School District replacement levy. The vote will take place on Feb. 14.

The School District Board of Directors and administration have worked very hard during these difficult economic times to protect the quality of education that they provide to the students of the district. The community should applaud this effort and show their continued support by passing the levy.

The students and our community need the continued programs and maintenance that this levy will provide. Let's keep our district strong.

Bill Sehmel, Gig Harbor

Vote ‘yes’ for schools and in our future

We are writing to encourage passage of the Peninsula School District’s replacement levy on Feb. 14. This levy was overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2009 and is now in need of a renewal. We believe that this levy money is well invested, regardless of whether you have kids in the district.

For example, it is no secret that residential property values are influenced by the quality of local schools. Thanks to these tough financial times, the state has been reducing its funding to public schools, so our school district has already made significant cuts.

Accounting for 22 percent of the district’s budget, this replacement levy funds basic needs such as teacher salaries, supplies, technology and maintenance. Compared to other school districts nearby, our district’s overall local levy rate is low — we’re much lower than the Tacoma and University Place school district rates, for example. If you look at it from a property-tax-dollars-collected-per-student perspective, we’re still low among our neighboring school districts.

And yet our school district continues to do a great job. We are very pleased with the education that our children are receiving at Peninsula schools. Our recent high school graduate received an excellent education that has prepared her well not only for college but for life.

As parents, we encourage you to vote “yes” to renew the Peninsula School District property tax levy. This much-needed funding is a smart investment in our kids and in our future.

Michelle and Rob Karlinsey, Gig Harbor

Schools make communities places in which people want to live

The economic turmoil of the past few years has caused people to question many things — their investments, their purchases, maybe even their profession. One thing that should not be questioned, however, is the commitment to the kids in the Gig Harbor community.

Voting for the upcoming replacement levy is a vote for the future of Gig Harbor and the families who settle here. While our children entered the public school system at high school, we supported every levy since long before that, because we believe that strong schools are a critical part of a thriving community.

Adjustments at the state level will only make local funding more critical. Athletics, extra curricular activities, technology and essential staff members should not be on the chopping block. The extras should not only be for those who can afford an exorbitant pay-to-play fee, and that’s where we would be headed if this levy fails.

There are buildings that need to be painted, facilities that need to be updated and teachers who need our support. We want those who interact with our children every day to be motivated to come to work and be inspired by the difference they can make in a child’s life. Continual decreases in salary and benefits do not get us there.

Many of our friends chose to return to Gig Harbor after college. They knew it was a great place to live and to raise a family.

Will our children feel the same way? We certainly hope so.

Bill and Sally Glover, Gig Harbor

Local levy provides more than 20 percent of school district’s budget

Keep up the good work, voters! For years, you have provided one-fifth of the funding to provide our young people with solid local schools.

However, state funding has dropped to the point that the school district budget can no longer replace school computers that fail due to heavy student use. The number of computers available to students just continues to decrease. This is only one example of the many sacrifices that are already being made by students.

Imagine what would happen if 22 percent were cut from everything local schools provide to our students. You can prevent that, and give students a great Valentine, by voting “yes” for the Feb. 14 local school levy.

Jim Greetham, Gig Harbor High School teacher, Lakebay

State legislators lend their support for Peninsula School District levy

Each of us has committed to working in Olympia for a strong, vibrant education system where our kids can get an education that prepares them for success in school and in life. We each see education — and state funding for it — as a top priority.

While the State Constitution makes educating our kids the state’s paramount responsibility, it is much more. Providing great educational opportunities for our kids is also an economic imperative if the next generation is to successfully compete in the 21st Century economy.

As many of us know — and as the State Supreme Court recently ruled — state funding has failed to meet the needs of school districts throughout Washington, including the Peninsula School District. The district’s replacement levy will enable funding of critical investments, from staff salaries to full-day kindergarten to technology and equipment.

This proposal will maintain the high standards and excellence we have come to expect from our school district. At a time when local businesses need a strong workforce, when taxpayers need responsibility and transparency, and when our kids need us more than ever, we urge you to vote “yes” for great schools on Feb. 14.

Sen. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor

Rep. Jan Angel, R-Port Orchard

Rep. Larry Seaquist, D-Gig Harbor

Voting ‘no’ on school district levy would be punishing the wrong people

Recently placed black and yellow signs around town stating that we should demand reform and enough is enough are misguided, although their spirit for questioning government are not.

My husband and I employ 35 people on the Port of Tacoma. We see and feel the inefficiencies in government every day. I have been outspoken to our Congress about the reform that needs to take place within these agencies. Take it from me, I’ve walked a mile in the shoes of a business owner in Washington State and can agree that enough is enough.

However, I am also a parent of a student who attends Purdy Elementary. I have taken the time to go into the classrooms. I’ve spoken to the administration and went to public meetings. I am informed and feel knowledgeable about the state of our school system and budget.

The district runs more like a business than any other form of government I have seen. They do so much with so little.

To vote “no” for this levy is misguided. We would be punishing the wrong people.

This levy is a replacement levy, not additional property taxes. Take it from me, I’ve walked a mile in the shoes of a public school mom in Washington State and can say that enough isn’t enough.

The Supreme Court recently agreed with me. We are angry at the government, but our message needs to be put in the right place. Please consider voting “yes” for our children, our local communities, and to work on reform in other parts of government.

Margaret Sonnen, Gig Harbor

Teachers, staff members have taken salary hits in order to educate our children

I am disheartened by the unsigned fliers that have appeared to oppose the Peninsula School District Levy on Feb. 14.  I’m betting the teachers and staff members feel like they have been kicked in the gut.

In the past couple of weeks, the State Supreme Court has said that Washington State doesn’t provide enough for basic education. The state has been given three years to do so.

Until the state fully funds education, districts are being called on to fund the gaps, including bus transportation, four all-day kindergarten classes per week, maintenance of school facilities, sports and electives and paraeducators who help struggling students. etc.

Because basic education is not fully funded, school districts have had to ask their individual communities for money to provide the excellent education that we have in the Peninsula School District.

The little “vote no” signs have said that the money should wait until there are reforms. What reforms? Our school district receives the highest scores in Pierce County on the Measurement of Student Progress for Washington State tests.

In 2000, voters passed Initiative 1-732 that was to keep teachers’ salaries commensurate with the cost of living measured in Seattle. It’s 12 years later, and the teachers have seen a cost-of-living increase one year.

That same year, voters pass I-728 to lower class sizes in grades K-5. Those reductions have fallen by the wayside.

Teachers have had huge increases in their contribution to medical and dental insurance. They’ve lost three professional development days and have lost 1.9 percent of their salaries. Plan I retired teachers have lost their cost-of-living increases.

If you have children in school, you know the great job our schools are doing to educate our kids. It comes down to what do we value? I have no children in school, but I will always vote for schools. It’s not about my real estate values, it’s about kids. These kids are our future.
 
Ann Fessler, Gig Harbor