VISD continues to be a strong steward of public dollars by investing in ongoing preventative maintenance to facilities and modernizing vital technology systems. We must renew this levy to meet both the modern needs of students and the expectations of our community. Voting “Yes” ensures funding for safety, security, and technology improvements over the next four years.

This replacement levy enables VISD to upgrade fire safety systems and the play structure at Chautauqua Elementary School. It also enables upgrading of entry controls, door locks, security cameras as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. Recently, VISD installed energy efficient LED lighting in all three gyms and school buildings, including the CES covered play area, and conducted crucial preventive maintenance on building mechanical systems.

Technology provides critical support for students and teachers. Under our current levy, the district-wide wireless network was updated as well as additional cameras at each building. Renewing the levy allows the district to purchase IT upgrades, software licenses, and enhance network infrastructure.

These projects are necessary to address student and staff safety and security to ensure we follow through on the Vashon Promise: “Every student is welcomed, known, and treasured.” Please vote “Yes” for our kids!

Submitted by: Craig Klinkam, cjk@klinkam.com

There should be no tax measures on the lowest voter turnout month, February. Taxpayers don’t even have their tax bills for the year yet. Tell the district to run tax measures in November when voter turnout is high.

WA has about a dozen public charter schools open to all. Our public charter schools are not allowed to run any local tax measures and they don’t. They stay on a budget. They provide all the technology that students need and none that they don’t. They don’t nickel and dime taxpayers and tax them out of their homes. They don’t have Enrichment Levies, Tech Levies, Capital Levies, Bonds, Replacement Levies, Not-A-New-Tax Tax Levies, etc.

The point is that most traditional public schools in WA are spendthrifts. More money, same poor results. It doesn’t matter how much money they are given. They always seem to need/want more. What if we had school choice (vouchers) to give families a choice and taxpayers a break? Perhaps that is needed to introduce some competition for the monopoly to both improve and to become more efficient. And most importantly, many students learn better in environments other than what the assigned traditional public schools provide.

Submitted by: Jeff Heckathorn, LevyNo.com

Vashon Island School District does not receive state funding for urgent and necessary safety driven capital improvements as part of the state funding model. Unfortunately, the model is outdated, woefully inadequate, and does not address our state’s paramount duty to fully fund basic education. VISD faces this reality yearly when making necessary safety, security, and technology improvements. Our students deserve better than what the state provides. These are the facts.

Submitted by: Craig Klinkam, cjk@klinkam.com

There is no reason to rush this or any tax measure for the February election without a full vetting. The district should have the courtesy of allowing hardworking taxpayers to at least see their property tax bill for 2024 (arrives in the mail, conveniently, in March) and our Federal Income Taxes (April). And the district should want a large voter turnout, no? That will occur in November.

Submitted by: Jeff Heckathorn, LevyNo.com

Download the full text of the resolution

Simple majority (Wash. Const. art. VII, sec. 2(a))

For questions about this measure, contact: Peter Woodbrook, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent, (206) 463-8627, pwoodbrook@vashonsd.org