Vote yes to preserve outstanding education

I’m new to Sandpoint, but not to teaching. Before moving here, I taught for a total of 18 years in six schools in three districts. I enrolled my daughters in Sandpoint High School this fall, and began teaching at Farmin-Stidwell. It’s natural to make some comparisons between this district and those I’ve experienced before.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised by SHS. My kids were cheerfully helped on many occasions by the busy counseling office coordinator. Teachers make themselves available after school to help struggling students. The art, music, and P.E. programs are high-quality. Most of all, I’m thrilled my kids are held to higher academic standards and getting more meaningful homework and much more quality teaching.

My experience teaching at Farmin-Stidwell is equally impressive. Teachers here are given the freedom to be creative. I’m continually amazed by the area’s outstanding, innovative, and hard-working teachers. Academic expectations are higher than at any of my prior schools and many of my students are more than a year ahead in certain areas even though I have fewer resources. Salaries here are much lower, but that doeesn’t stop teachers from putting in long hours after school and on weekends.

I’m not sure the general public understands how fortunate we are to have such a great school district, and that it’s already operating on a shoestring budget. Our schools and teachers are doing an excellent job with few resources.

If our community doesn’t pass the levy, it will devastate our students. We are all being hit hard economically, but is that sufficient reason to remove access to a quality, well-rounded education for our kids?

Let’s make our children and their futures our priority. Please get out and vote “yes” on Feb. 24.

JOANIE HAMELMANN

Sandpoint