Public schools are our community resource
Our communities cry out that school taxes are out of control. At the ballot, we must remember that public schools provide foundational services in the same way that first responders, libraries, senior centers, highway departments, and other essential services do. Schools educate young people to get them ready for the workforce, military service and college, and to be good community members and educated voters. They support our most vulnerable friends, family members, and neighbors while providing spaces for community activities. For many who choose alternative education places like home, they offer access to academics, sports, and other co-curricular activities. Schools give our youth a place to be, often extended through the day, which helps parents pursue their own careers.
The costs of all our services have been impacted by inflation and political grandstanding. We have chosen to have local property taxes as the primary way to fund community services, and we are poorly served by state and federal governments that require more without additional funding. Our legislators have failed us by not studying and crafting creative ways to support public schools. If there is an “enemy” you want to point your finger at regarding tax increases, especially school taxes, point toward Concord, Washington, and those we sent there.
When you get your ballot in March, remember that the school which is at the center of your community works to teach your neighbor’s kid math and history, is a place where a whole town can go watch a basketball game or play, is the place where a special needs kid is learning to be a productive member of society, is the place where your neighbor is employed as a custodian, is the place where your neighbor plays pickleball, and so much more.