LEVY: Small price to pay for kids

As an involved and concerned parent of children that will soon join the public school system here in Coeur d'Alene, I am painfully aware that state cuts to our schools have a direct and negative effect on our children and the quality of their education. That is why passing the Maintenance and Operations Levy this March is so important. It is even more important in light of the disproportionate impact those cuts will have on our already under-resourced district schools.

Our community's school kids are facing a serious threat to their education. The state has cut over $200 million to Idaho public education since 2008 with an additional $62 million possible in the coming year. These additional cuts mean schools throughout the state won't be able to buy up-to-date textbooks; teachers don't have the support they need to purchase basic classroom supplies; and many programs and services that our kids depend on are severely under-funded, or have been eliminated entirely.

Understandably, agencies throughout the state have cut back, but we should have a higher standard for our students in our communities. It is our time to ensure that students in District 271 are afforded the opportunities in order to produce a society that is built on higher level of achieving, rather than one of mediocrity.

The Coeur d'Alene School District Levy, on the March 8 ballot, will help offset just some of these cuts. At 34 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, the owner of a $400,000 home will pay just $64 per year to support our kids. That's a small price to pay to support our children who are our key to the future workforce.

Opponents claim that levy dollars will be used to expand what they perceive is an inflated district bureaucracy. In fact, 10 jobs have been cut from the central administration; $8.8 million has been shaved from the district's operating budget. Just over 2 percent of the 2010-11 budget is directed to central administration. The district's priority continues to be kids and teachers in the classroom.

When you sit down to fill out your ballot, I hope that you reflect upon the future of our community - our children. PLEASE vote YES twice on the upcoming Maintenance and Operations Levy.

DEBORA C. NELSON

Coeur d'Alene