With Feb. 8 fast approaching, my family and I would like to express our support for renewing the White River School District levies. In these tumultuous times, we have very much appreciated how well the district is handling the constant change, providing a great deal of stability for our kids, and safely progressing from virtual and hybrid learning back to full time, in-class instruction. We were very impressed how quickly laptops and hot spots were provided, how swiftly teachers were trained and came up to speed in the new environment, and how kind our bus drivers are when they needed to transition from picking up and delivering our kids to picking up and delivering lunches for those that needed them. The technology and efforts were in place before many larger districts even had a plan (much to the chagrin of a couple of kids looking for an extra day off or two). Additionally, as we evolved to greater levels of in-person learning, the district clearly laid out and communicated our options and the district goals, offering detailed information from which we could make informed decisions.

These are only a few of the supportive actions and outcomes for which the district is responsible and continues to build upon. These plans and results all take strong leadership from our district and community, and many were (and continue to be) paid for by levy dollars. Laptops, training, and fiber optic transmission lines are covered by capital/technology levy dollars. Counselors, nurses, and special education teachers, all of whom have become increasingly critical, are funded significantly more by levy dollars than by funds provided by the state. If your children appreciate the stability and collaboration that come as part of athletics, band, choir, drama, and trades, these programs are also substantially financed by levy dollars.

I am proud my family is a part of the White River School District. We appreciate all that the district leadership and employees have accomplished not only in the past couple years, but ever since my kids started kindergarten. Numerous teachers, principals, para-educators, coaches, and leaders have helped shape who my kids are today. We hope numerous families feel this way and will join us in supporting our students and the White River School District by voting YES to renew the Educational Programs and Operations Levy and the Capital Levy on Feb. 8.

Brian Fraker

Buckley