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The School Levy Supermajority Must Go!
The School Levy Supermajority Must Go!
You can elect a president in this country who loses the popular vote, and you can build a stadium in this city that fails to get the approval of 50% of the population. But you can’t properly fund education in this state without 60% of the voters saying yes. Reasonable people know that this is ridiculous, wrong-headed, and outright anti-democratic.
What are the consequences? Look at the Rochester School district. In 2004 a school levy won not once, but twice, and by margins of 58.4% and 59.4%. But that isn’t enough by our state’s standards. Rochester's levy still failed, and the district had to cut 11 teachers, a counselor and a district administrator. Students were forced to pay to participate in athletic programs, and all music, art, physical education, library and enrichment programs were eliminated at Rochester's primary and elementary schools.
Unfortunately, the Rochester School District isn’t alone in this plight. We’ve seen the state of our education system first hand; most of us are recent products of Washington State schools. We’ve sat in the crumbling classrooms, we’ve read out of decade-old textbooks, we’ve suffered through cuts in music programs and watched our best teachers quit in frustration. After all of that, we want a different future for the next generation of children in this state.
We’re not the teacher's union and we’re not the PTA. We’re some young people from this state who simply want education to get a fair and democratic shake. That means that education levies and bonds should get the same treatment that politicians, initiatives and stadiums get. Fifty percent plus one.
The paramount duty of the state is to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders. Where can you find this clause? The Washington State Constitution, that's where. It’s time that this legislature and this governor stand up and fight for what our state constitution demands.
The legislature must pass Senate Bill 5144 and SJR 8202 and send this issue to the voters for ratification this fall. Anything less fails our children and fails the future of Washington.
Signed by Betterdonkey.org and our friends
(If you wish to sign, please just add your name and address in the comments)
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