Evergreen teacher Rebecca Brown urges support for Evergreen school levies
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com
As a teacher in Evergreen Public Schools, I witness daily the profound impact our community’s support has on our students. On February 11, 2025, voters are asked to consider two replacement levies: the Educational Programs & Operations (EP&O) Levy and the Safety, Security & Technology Capital (SSTC) Levy. These are not new taxes but continuations of existing levies set to expire at the end of 2025.
The EP&O Levy funds essential staff positions, including teachers, counselors, and security personnel, and supports extracurricular activities such as athletics, music, and theater. It also provides resources for special education, multilingual learners, and highly capable programs.
The SSTC Levy ensures our students and staff have up-to-date technology and safe learning environments. It covers student and staff devices, online curriculum, emergency response systems, and cybersecurity measures.
Without these levies, we risk significant cuts to programs and services that are vital to our students’ education and well-being. I urge our community to vote YES on both levies by February 11. Let’s continue investing in the success and safety of our students.
Rebecca Brown, MEd, NBCT
Camas
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See, but the problem is our students are not prospering. Their scores are very low, and we still have the same lame Superintendent of Education. Schools are losing students in record numbers and often times when the pitch for more money is that it’s for the kids, it ends up in salaries and benefits for staff and teachers. Don’t get me wrong, teaching is challenging today, but more money is Not the answer. Rethink, regroup, re-prioritize, the way things are done. Let parents decide where their kids go to school. The whole system needs a kick in the pants, Trump style. Yep, I said that.
So…voting down the levy is also not the answer to your complaints. Have you not seen what happened to other districts that failed their levies? I would encourage you to get involved and not sit on the sidelines. If you really care, support the schools AND participate.
Trump actually SUPPORTS local school district control; he wants to shut down the federal levels. Sounds like you disagree with Trump…
With test score proficiencies in Mathematics at 31% (elementary), 21% (middle school) and 24% (high school) and Reading at 38% (elementary), 32% (middle school), 56% (high school), it’s pretty hard to support the mediocrity. If you or I performed at these levels at work, we’d be fired in a heart beat. Drastic changes to a system that hasn’t worked in decades need to happen ASAP. Continuing to give the district money to perform poorly is irresponsible.
You can’t reason with anyone here. Even if scores were excellent they would still be opposing the levy. The scores are a red herring to dismantle public education. It’s a larger agenda to force school choice etc for reasons of ideology and pure greed.
Any person that has been to a jazz concert put on by evergreen would appreciate the value that these levies bring to the kids in the district. Any person that has been to a game would see the value in giving kids an athletic afterschool outlet. It gives them opportunity to be more well-rounded individuals and the benefits of levies to our your far outweigh the cost.
The people that complain about spending too much money should take aim at defense spending not education of our youth.
The problem is we are NOT educating our youth. When math scores improve, then orchestra and athletics might be appropriate.
So avant-garde–“Trump style” ooooh.
Sure… just keep pouring money down that hole… more money is the cure for everything! More money will help, especially, with the downward spiral of academic scores that is currently being seen in Evergreen and Vancouver schools.
Yes, this is sarcasm.