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As a caring, hard-working, tax-paying, property-owning father who wants safety and stability for my children, I would be deeply concerned if the district were forced into double-shifting. While it saves a nice chunk of money as the district does not have to pay to maintain, heat, and oversee as many schools, it has major drawbacks. With already-inflated class sizes due to staffing cuts, in double-shifting districts, students are selected either for the early school day or the late school day. Students who are in the evening shift have to walk or ride home in the dark. Students in the morning shift have to walk or ride to school in the dark.

Since my wife and I both work during the day, what would I do if my children weren’t selected for the same shift? What about single-parent families? I don’t know what I would do if, while we worked all day, we had to wonder what our children were doing. Imagine how much trouble a child can get into in eight hours without supervision. Now imagine 600.

Many would not be able to change work schedules to match their children’s school shifts, and many would have difficulty finding childcare. Others have children “too old” for day care, but perhaps still not old enough to be left on their own.

This may seem like an exaggerated picture, but let’s look at the district’s options. Option A: Continue to run as they have for the last 17 years they’ve received this levy. Option B: cut one-third of their budget while continuing to offer education to all of our district’s children.

Please vote yes March 14.

DANIEL SPENCER

Sandpoint