MY TURN: Vote yes for Lakeland levy
Dear Lakeland Community,
On behalf of the kids at Lakeland I write this to you. Because I am not 18, I asked my mom to post this for me. I hope you might take a few minutes to consider my thoughts in this letter to you.
As president of the seventh grade Honor Society, I know how important our school is to us kids. As many of you know, the Lakeland levy did not pass this past fall and there is a new one running this May. If this one doesn’t pass, there will be major setbacks in our schools and communities. As a student here at Lakeland Middle School, I know that many kids come for the sports and so do I. They have so many different sports here at Lakeland such as track, cross country, wrestling, football, volleyball and so much more. Not only that, but the special programs and electives here make school better and more engaging. Finally, our teachers and supportive staff all work their hardest to keep us safe and engaged in learning. If we lost these things, our schools would fall apart and us students would be devastated.
All of these sports help to uplift us as kids and teach us important lessons in life. As a runner, I can say that I have learned many important skills that help me every day, such as endurance, bravery and perseverance. I’m sure many other students here have also learned valuable life skills just from our amazing sports. If this levy does not pass in May, I don’t know if we’ll have them any more. Maybe we will, but they will definitely not be free. Which would be extremely sad for kids who wanted to do sports, but couldn’t because of the price. In conclusion, these sports keep Lakeland alive and thriving. If we lost them, we would lose our school pride.
Electives and special programs all add important factors to our school. Lakeland schools provide programs fit for everyone and their needs. All of these programs are important and make sure every student is included. Being a band student, I know how important electives are to our school day. Even in elementary schools the little shifts each week bring many smiles throughout the day. The levy for our school district supports all of these programs, each and every one. Sadly, if this one doesn’t pass in May, I may never be able to enjoy those things again. The loss of these special things in our schools would bring down everybody’s mood and confidence. A school without electives and programs isn’t fun or engaging at all, which is why they are vital to our community.
Finally, our teachers and protective guards all make up the body of Lakeland School District. Our staff keeps our schools up and running. Without their effort, we wouldn’t have a school, and that’s VERY important. This levy in May will fund the many teachers, bus drivers and armed guards at every school in our district. As a student, I know how important these people are. They keep us safe, teach us and, most importantly, are our friends. Many kids couldn’t be who they are without these special people and I couldn’t either.
In summary, many families are struggling. Finances are hard and our schools might sound like just another load to pay. I want you to know this new levy is less than the one that has been going and it is vital to our schools. It’s vital for the students. We need these little things in life and school provides us with it. It gives us friends, education, challenges and life skills. This levy is probably going to be a make or break point for our district. I don’t want to see it break. I love my school the way it is and hope that it can continue just how it is. All I can ask as a student is for people to take into consideration how much they would be supporting our school district if they just paid a little for students. The many towns in Idaho wouldn’t be the same without our schools and the citizens wouldn’t be either. So please, support our district and the thousands of kids that rely on it. Just one person can make all the difference.
I know I'm just a kid, but I appreciate you for taking time to read this and I hope it gives you a better view on how us kids feel about our schools.
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Galena Dyk is a seventh grade student at Lakeland Middle School.