Yes vote is crucial to student success

Boundary County schools have an upcoming levy vote on March 14th. This two-year Maintenance and Operations levy supplements the school districts budget, funding portions of the budget that the state does not. Let’s face it, state funding of schools, over the last ten years, has left many of its students high and dry. State funding doesn’t come close to providing a quality education that is so vital to the demands of today’s workers.

School districts, over 85 percent of them, are forced to run supplemental levies which provide the necessary additional funding to accomplish the district’s goals for their students. In the case of Boundary County, this levy provides 21.53 percent of their funding.

Of course, there will be those that say the funding isn’t necessary. But think about this for a second; One of the first questions that people ask a realtor when moving to the area is the quality of schools. Failure of a levy can negatively effect property values, but that’s a small part of the equation.

Boundary County is a tightly knit community whose schools have become the glue holding the community together. Many community functions are held at the schools and many friendships are created through school activities. And the quality of Education that Boundary County schools provides prepares its students for the next phase of life whether that is college, trade school or the workforce.

This levy request is a continuation of the current levy with no increase. Boundary County schools spend less-per-student than the national and Idaho average yet deliver a solid education. The levy will pay for things like, safety and security, technology hardware and software, curriculum materials and textbooks, facilities maintenance and operations, extra-curricular activities and staffing for non-funded activities.

We encourage a yes vote on this extremely important levy. The students of Boundary County are counting on you.

Jim McKiernan, Publisher