As a high school senior that has spent the entirety of my school life in Enumclaw, I know we have to take it upon ourselves to ensure the efficiency and inclusiveness of our school system. We all want the best educational experience possible, but not all programs can be fully funded by the state. The replacement Educational Programs & Operations funds areas such as transportation, security, special education, and extracurricular activities.

Voting yes to the levy will not only nourish and protect these programs, but is also at no extra cost to the taxpayer. The rate of the replacement levy is actually lower than the previous one, and Enumclaw taxes the least for our schools when compared to neighboring districts.

Many roads unsafe for walking are traversed by young children each day on their way to school. The transportation program works to prevent students from unnecessarily endangering themselves by providing rides to all students, even those inside a one mile radius of the school.

Keeping with safety as a top priority, security of our schools is taken very seriously, so it needs to be funded seriously. The new funds will go toward security cameras to prevent vandalism and theft and fencing around school grounds to protect students from uninvited guests.

It’s a public schooling promise to assist any student no matter their disability. However, we do not receive full funding for our special education program from the state. We need to fund better materials and resources for students with disabilities. We need to, as a school district and as a community, surround these kids with support and provide them the means to succeed.

From sports to drama our extracurricular funding is much needed to ascertain necessary equipment, ensure transportation, and create an overall enriching atmosphere for our students. With many programs having to do their own fundraising adding these activities to our budget helps standardize the usage of funds and make sure the benefits are truly for the children.

The levy is here to benefit the students and educate the young, so for our sake, please vote yes to the replacement Educational Programs & Operations on February 13 to protect and provide for future generations of Enumclaw students.

Ben Holland

Enumclaw