COEUR d’ALENE LEVIES: Vote yes

We need the members of this community to support the two Coeur d’Alene levy requests on the March 14 ballot. Supporting public education is critical for the future of our community and our children. An educated child becomes a responsible and better citizen. 25% of our school district’s total funds come from the supplemental levy. This levy is not just supplemental, it is essential. The safety and maintenance levy would fund deferred maintenance and safety projects not funded from the state. This includes among other things security enhancements. Our students, teachers and staff must be safe! We need to keep resource officers!

You may not realize that education funding per student in Idaho is ranked last in the United States. Our state government does not sufficiently fund the education of our students. We have a grandchild attending public school in this district. We also have a daughter who teaches at an elementary in this district. My husband and I both volunteer in her first-grade classroom. We have seen firsthand the needs that every teacher has to provide positive and healthy learning environments. Some of the supplies and even snacks she needs for her class are provided by her or my husband and I.

Our granddaughter has benefited from participating in band and drama at her middle school. Our two older grandchildren went through K-12 in this district. They participated in sports and got very well-rounded educations. Those types of programs could be cut because of a lack of funding. Even if I did not have family members associated with this district, I would support these levies because I value the benefits that come from having well educated and supported students.

ALICE ARAMBARRI

Coeur d’Alene