This levy is vital.  It is not a new levy but a continuation of our usual Operations Levy due to expire in 2014. Since the State of Washington does not fully fund our Vashon Island schools, twenty three percent of our operating budget must come from this levy.  These funds directly pay teachers salaries, maintenance, textbooks, transportation, custodial staff and much more.  Every four years for more than 20 years this levy has come up for renewal and to our credit, we have always been there to support our kids.  

State budgets are still very tight but our administrators and staff have worked hard to keep our schools strong with the limited resources available.  Tough decisions have already been made that maximize every dollar spent. Each generation of our children depends on the support of our schools in order to build their futures. The loss of twenty three percent of the District’s General Fund would be devastating.

We are very proud of our Vashon Island School District, as they have demonstrated excellent stewardship of our tax dollars.  We ask each of you to join us in voting to support this levy.

Union officials in the Vashon Island Schools have pressured the school board to divert levy funds from student services in order to pay teachers more. Our levy should pay for student services, not for wage increases.

In the collective bargaining agreement sought by union officials, the average state-provided wage of $52,751 for teachers will be enhanced by 12.5 percent from levy and levy-matched funds. This costs roughly $531,466 per year which could be better used to help at-risk students or reduce class sizes. The school district leads taxpayers to believe the levy money is being used for students, yet large amounts support union priorities instead.

Levies are great for funding local priorities and unique services for our area students, but taxpayers should hold off giving the school district any more money until the school board is able to put student services above the demands of union officials.

The most important factor in our children’s education is the quality of their teachers. Vashon voters have great regard and respect for our teachers and the education they provide our children. The Olympia-based Freedom Foundation statistics are simply not accurate for Vashon. While state funding continues to languish below 2008 levels, nearly every district in the state uses local levies to support teacher salaries, maintenance, textbooks, and transportation to operate schools.

Statement submitted by: John "Oz" Osborne, Cherry Champagne, and J. Scott Bonney
tooz@oceanatlas.com

Don’t let the Vashon School District confuse you by a nuanced definition of taxes, levy, new, or renewal. Approving this measure will increase the amount you pay the government. Taxpayers should hold off giving the district any more money until the school board is able to put student services above the demands of union officials.

Voting ‘no’ on Proposition 1 will send this message to the district: Be more responsible with taxpayer’s money.

Statement submitted by: Laurie Lyford, Renay Bennett, and Tom Henningsgards
propertyrights4us@gmail.com

Download the full text of the resolution

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