Vote yes and invest in students' futures

There is no greater investment a community can make in its future than education of the next generation. The school children of Lake Pend Oreille School District deserve nothing less than the best education available.

Our district has great leadership and constantly strives to improve and as evidenced by our improving ISAT scores, higher high school graduation rates and greater number of students going on to post-secondary schooling. Without the generous support of the community, LPOSD could never accomplish these goals. The district’s greatest asset is the staff of dedicated teachers who work every day with our children for pay well below surrounding states.

Traditionally, the state provides almost all the funding for the school districts in Idaho. This levy is necessary because state support for our public schools is eroding. The state of Idaho has cut funding for K-12 education for the last two years, the first time in history. There is no more federal money available and the state projects no relief from the current financial crisis for several years. Idaho, unfortunately, has slid to fiftieth in the nation among the states in what the state provides per student for K-12 education. Idaho was passed by Mississippi last year. Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico also provide more funding per student than Idaho.

Without the support of local communities school districts in Idaho would starve. Our school district has the lowest local school taxes of all our surrounding districts and 60 percent below the state average. The levy will cost the owner of an average house in Bonner County $3.44 more per month, a small price to pay for the future of our community.

GARY SUPPIGER

Cocolalla