Vote yes for Cheney and Medical Lake school levies

Half a nurse.

That’s how much the state of Washington pays the Cheney School District in order to have a health care professional ready to address a sick or injured child at any one of the district’s eight schools.

But in a district the size of Cheney, it takes three nurses to adequately meet student health needs. It also takes more than the state pays to provide teachers for class size reductions, all-day kindergarten, school counselors, student transportation and other needed functions essential to a good, well-rounded education.

That’s why districts such as Cheney and Medical Lake hold maintenance and operations levies every three years. This Feb. 10, it’s time for citizens on the West Plains to show the value we put in quality education and pass both M and O levies.

In Cheney, the levy amounts to 21 percent of the district’s operating budget; 23 percent when local effort assistance (LEA) — funding assistance by the state in the form of property tax relief for property owners in districts with low total property value. In Medical Lake, the levy represents 6 percent of the operating budget, and 15 percent total when LEA is added.

At $2.20 per $1,000 of assessed property value, Medical Lake’s levy if passed will generate approximately $1.2 million a year. Approval of the levy will also funnel in another $1.5 million per year in state support through LEA.

In Cheney, the levy’s tax rate drops over time as assessed property value increases and the district’s population grows, but provides more funding for things such as highly capable students, music and fine arts programs and extracurricular activities. That rate is projected at $3.17 per $1,000 of assessed property value that provides $9.3 million in 2016, $3.14 providing $9.5 million in 2017 and $3.11 generating $9.7 million in 2018.

That money also helps pay for classroom technology, school counselors, textbooks and instructional materials, transportation, security, custodial, maintenance and grounds upkeep and many other essentials of a good education. Levies pay for what the state doesn’t so that school districts can meet state requirements for a basic education to “provide students with the opportunity to become responsible and respectful global citizens.”

There are several important factors to remember about levies. First, levies are not bonds. As the saying goes, “Levies are for learning, bonds are for building.”

Second, failure of a levy prevents school districts from receiving LEA funding from the state, making the loss of money even greater in many cases, such as Medical Lake and Cheney. Third, the levy rates for both Cheney and Medical Lake are not new taxes, but rather extensions of existing rates voters have before approved.

We encourage residents in Cheney, Medical Lake, Airway Heights and the rest of the West Plains to show the high value we place on good education and enhanced opportunities for our area youth. Cast your ballot, and vote “Yes” on the Cheney and Medical Lake school district’s three-year maintenance and operations levies Feb. 10.