Vote yes and show that we value education

$3.44 a month.

That’s it. That is the increase the majority of Lake Pend Oreille School District residents will pay if the school levy passes on Tuesday.

The Daily Bee endorses this levy only after attending numerous public meetings, interviewing district officials and recognizing that by nuking public education here will lead to higher unemployment and derail the progress this district has made.

Let’s hope most people reading this can find $3.44 a month.

We pondered these questions and a few more before we decided to endorse the levy.

• Is this school district doing the best financial job it can under the severe drop in funding from the state?

We think so based on flawless audits, the fact the trustees socked money away in a rainy day fund that we are tapping in to now and that we have a tax rate that is 60 percent below the state average.

Idaho is horrible about spending money on public education.

Remember, education funding has never been average in Idaho. The Gem State ranks 51 (behind Washington, D.C.) as far as state funding per student.

The school district has made severe cuts in staffing the past few years and unfortunately more cuts are coming even with passage of this levy.

• What kind of education are our students receiving?

Students here are doing exceptionally well by all measures. The graduation rate continues to rise and is above 93 percent. We also like the fact that 90 percent of our students are proficient in math and 95 percent were proficient in reading.

• Why would a person vote no?

Again, it is our hope that the $3.44 a month increase isn’t going to push anyone over the edge.

The folks who have been vocally opposed to the levy have cited a lack of quality education and questions about how money is spent in the school district.

Those questions have been answered.

To us it comes down to civic responsibility.

Whether you moved here from somewhere else or graduated from public schools here in Bonner County, some unnamed taxpayer ponied up to pay for your education.

Now it is our turn.

We hope you will read the numerous Daily Bee articles on this vote and become informed about what your $3.44 a month will help preserve.

We all wish we were voting to improve education on Tuesday instead of keeping it from going down the drain.

By voting yes, we are saying as a community that we value education and want to keep our school district on the right track.

This supplemental levy funds all curriculum materials, a third of all school district staff and funds all academic and athletic extracurricular activities.

That’s pretty clear.

By voting no, this community would say loud and clear that the school district is managed poorly, puts out a bad product and needs to start over from scratch.

We don’t buy into that at all.

We believe our educators and hundreds of people employed by the school district deserve our respect and a pat on the back for doing what they do.

We also believe that we have to do what we can locally to provide for the best education possible.

It is for these reasons — and many more — we urge our readers to support the replacement levy on Tuesday.

David Keyes is publisher of the Bonner County Daily Bee.