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With all the negativity around the Lake Pend Oreille School District levy, there is much positive about the “other” levy in the March election — the West Bonner County School District levy in Priest River.

If passed, the LPOSD levy would be an estimated 40 percent of the school district’s total operating budget going forward. Currently, it is at 33 percent. I call this the levy “bully.” Thirty-three percent now, 40 percent tomorrow. Not good. Like the schoolyard bully who threatens to punch out your lights if you don’t cough up your lunch money, the LPOSD levy “bully” at the 33 percent level threatens to close schools and turn out lights if it doesn’t get voted in.

The WBCSD levy is at 26 percent of the district’s total budget. The voters have the opportunity to cut the “bully” to 0 percent for the next levy election in 2021. One of the options in the March election is to make the current levy amount permanent. Future levies will not include this amount. But this is bad isn’t it? No, it is good.

If WBCSD voters make current the levy amount permanent, the voters can turn down future levy increases without defunding the programs that they have been supporting for years. The “good stuff” funding would be secure and not subject to future levy elections. The 26 percent levy “bully” would be gone from the future. The West Bonner County School Board gets this, and they are offering voters this choice of a “bully”-free future. The WBCSD residents should take it, and the LPOSD School Board should take note.

JIM GOOD

Sagle