Don’t take out tax frustration on kids

How many people who live in the North Thurston Public Schools district enjoyed watching the River Ridge girl’s basketball team win their second state title?

How many of you have enjoyed some of the fantastic drama productions performed throughout our district?

How many of you have an art project created at school by your child or grandchild posted on your refrigerator?

Our children inspire me. They are creative, energetic, ambitious, generous and intelligent. They deserve a well-rounded education.

The maintenance and operations levy that failed in February (by about 1,000 votes!) would have continued to provide that education for the next generation of citizens. What is it worth to you to provide the students in our community with reasonable class sizes, dedicated teachers and counselors, and programs for athletics, musical and cultural development?

I urge you to find out how your property taxes would actually be affected by this REPLACEMENT levy and then decide whether your children, or your neighbor’s children, are worth the cost. I believe they are.

If you are unhappy with your taxes, take it up with the assessor and with the legislators who drive that piece of the financial mess we are in today. Don’t take it out on our community’s children by denying them the opportunity for a good, solid, well-rounded education.

Lisa Darby, Olympia

These children are our future

I have lived in Lacey since 1996. Prior to that, I was on active duty in the Marine Corps, and was also stationed (and had children attend schools) in Illinois, Virginia, California, and Arizona.

Over the past 12 years, I have watched North Thurston Public Schools try to work with and engage the public to come up with ways to stretch their budget, manage their funds in a fiscally prudent manner and improve the quality of education delivered to all students. Compared and contrasted with schools in the aforementioned locations, North Thurston Public Schools is far ahead of most others.

I have toured schools in this district to see firsthand some of the conditions and needs for additional funding. If you want to see firsthand how the funds are being expended, or if you want to tour a school building or visit a classroom — the NTPS district would welcome you to do so.

I, too, worry about how far my family’s finances go given the current state of the economy and rising property taxes assessed against where we live in Lacey. While I might feel Thurston County has not been fair in the increases and assessments regarding my individual property taxes, and while I no longer have any children attending North Thurston Public Schools, to make a statement by voting no on the current levy will only hurt the educational process in our local schools.

In the final analysis, like it or not, the children are our future.

Steven Shippee, Olympia

Kids deserve the support of voters

As parents, we are responsible to provide our children with the opportunity of a quality education. This starts at home but requires the support of the entire community. Children spend more time at school than at home with their own parents and need safe classrooms with modern resources.

They deserve dedicated teachers and caring staff. The fundamentals learned will play a key role in the success of our future neighbors, business owners and community leaders. They will give back by maintaining safe neighborhoods, creating employment opportunities and caring for us as we grow old. Its part of that quality of life thing that brings us here and why we stay.

In May, residents of the North Thurston school district will have another chance to pass a much needed school levy. Your vote will effect more than just the 13,500 students. Vote “YES” and support your schools.

Tim Mills, DuPont