Vote Yes! We Need to Prepare Students and Teachers to Use Technology Effectively in Environmentally Efficient Buildings.

Today’s work environment requires employees to use high technology in a collaborative manner to research and solve problems. Many students use laptops, the Internet and other electronic tools in their daily lives. To prepare students of all economic backgrounds to thrive in the future, we must provide students and teachers with the electronic tools with which they are familiar, thus enabling effective teaching and collaborative learning at school and at home. School buildings need a systematic approach to replace major environmental systems such as roofs and heating to ensure they can serve students well into the future. Voting for this measure renews a levy that protects the community's investment in our future.

Endorsed by Kirkland, Redmond and Sammamish City Councils and Chambers of Commerce; Seattle-King County Association of REALTORS; Lake Washington Education Association; Lake Washington PTSA Council and more than 30 PTAs; and the Lake Washington Schools Foundation. To see elected officials and community leaders who endorsed this measure, visit www.vote4lwsdkids.org.

Union officials in the Lake Washington 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 $49,750 for teachers will be enhanced by 14 percent from levy and levy-matched funds. This costs roughly $9.3 million 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.

This measure renews an existing levy that addresses building maintenance, technical infrastructure and classroom resources. Students, teachers and today’s workforce use technology daily. Education must utilize current technology to train tomorrow’s workforce. Sound building structures and secure access will provide a safe, healthy learning environment for our students. Vote Yes to take a wise step in protecting our current investment in infrastructure with ongoing building maintenance and technical innovation in the classroom!

Statement submitted by: Susan D. Baird-Joshi, Kerri N. Nielsen, and Matt Loschen
www.vote4lwsdkids.org

The Lake Washington School District is asking for new money from taxpayers because they have allowed union officials to divert existing levy money to pay teachers more--rather than using that money for things like technology for students. If only the district had managed their existing levy money better, they wouldn’t have to ask for more now.

Voting ‘no’ on Proposition 2 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))