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Letter: School district making great strides; vote ‘yes’
Op-Ed · March 26, 2015
As a school board member and a community resident, I am proud of the way our board and administration have provided careful stewardship of our tax dollars while staying focused on our mission.
That mission is ambitious: preparing students to live and learn with passion and purpose. It requires time and money, hard work by teachers, parents and students, and a continued community-wide commitment to assure our students have opportunities to succeed.
On April 7, West Branch School District voters will vote on a 10-year extension of an existing tax levy that provides critical funding for curriculum and instruction. It is called the Instructional Support Levy (ISL) and it augments funding authorized by the state’s regular school finance formula. The levy has been funded by a combination of property tax and income surtax.
This is not a tax increase, but a levy that is subject to periodic review and approval by the board and the community. The vote comes at a time of instability and uncertainty of funding for regular operations due to state inaction.
It is to our administrators’ and teachers’ lasting credit that we have been able to do what we have in the current funding climate. It is not likely this would have been possible without the ISL, and even less likely moving forward.
At nearly $400,000, this funding is essential to assure that we can maintain the staff and programs now in place. Please note: This funding has nothing to do with facilities improvements, which are funded separately.
We are making great strides in West Branch. Writing individually, I ask you to help us keep moving forward. Please vote “Yes” on April 7.
Mike Owen, West Branch
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