Ridgefield resident and parent Jamie Heim offers her support for Ridgefield schools
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
I am writing to urge my fellow Ridgefield residents to support levy propositions 12 and 13. These levies are crucial for the future of Ridgefield School District and for students who access special education services across the district. As a community, we hold the responsibility to ensure that every child, regardless of their individual needs, receives the quality education they richly deserve.
Levy propositions 12 and 13 represent a vital investment in the futures of all Ridgefield students.
Proposition 12 is not a new tax. It is a replacement levy for the current levy that expires at the end of 2025. This levy supports crucial district operations, technology, sports, student activities, and special education staffing. You may not be aware of this, but the current state provided special education funding is grossly inadequate and does not meet the escalating demands of our diverse and growing student population. It is the district’s current levy that makes up for the lack of state provided special education funding and ensures student access to special education services across the district. Voting “yes” for Proposition 12 will ensure that the district special education program continues to receive the support that our students need.
Proposition 13 will build a much needed 3rd elementary school, repair the roofs and HVAC at both Union Ridge and South Ridge, and support the district’s basic technology needs. A new elementary school will reduce the student population numbers of our current elementary schools. Both of my children have attended Ridgefield elementary schools and I know first hand the struggles of having my children attend a 700 plus student school. 12:30 daily lunch times, 30 minute long parent pick up lines, wasted learning minutes due to long transitions across the campus, portables without running water…these are just a few of the issues that our schools face daily and the addition of a new elementary school will alleviate.
Please vote “yes” on Propositions 12 and 13 and join me in ensuring that our students have access to the services, supports, and learning environments that they need to thrive.
Jamie Heim
Ridgefield resident and parent
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She’s also a teacher for RSD. Why is she withholding that from the public?
Rob, that was a rhetorical question, right? 😉
Have you seen the charts showing how badly property owners are going to get screwed on property taxes if these things pass? If it passes, people in Ridgefield must all be east coast trust fund check cashers or teachers scheduled to get into the $120K club.
I created the charts, wrote the “against” statement and writing articles to inform Ridgefield that this will raise levy revenue 41% and, if both pass, 110% increase. Yes, I’m very much against these levies. My point is that she is a teacher, this is a conflict of interest that she should state in her letter. She is free to share her opinion but don’t withhold from the public. Many teachers and district officials are taking this strategy hoping to give the appearance of a groundswell of support from the commoners.
Of course you are shocked AND surprised that she pulled this stunt, right?
Rob, has anybody bothered to ask the RSD what they did with all the MILLIONS of dollars they got from the district of criminals during the covid scamdemic?
Ask how much is in the school reserves. Did they invest in covid jabs with the money they got for covid? Our public officials have endless supply of money using the public for their bank account. This has to stop. Vote no. they get extra money for handicap or special
ed.
1. http://www.meritstreetmedia.com › show › dr-phil-primetimeF Is For Failure – meritstreetmedia.com
Jan 14, 2025 · Dr. Phil examines modern education challenges, from ex-teachers quitting to parents pulling kids from public schools for alternative solutions.
2. http://www.directv.com › guide › EPISODEWatch Dr. Phil Primetime F Is For Failure: Our Education …
Stream episode F Is For Failure: Our Education System is Broken! from Dr. Phil Primetime Season 2025 on DIRECTV. Shockingly low literacy rates, underfunded schools, and overworked teachers are creating a perfect storm, leaving millions of students behind academically; Dr. Phil sits down with educators, parents, a former senior official in the U …
3. http://www.youtube.com › watchF is for Failure | EP 299 | The Dr. Phil Podcast – YouTube
Watch this and your blood will boil or clot!
The USA spends $20,000 on every student nationwide. Most of these Levys go to administration. Out of 36 nations globally America comes in 35. Our public schools are failing. Halfway through this video, an education advocate TELLS WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
We have to fix our education system. Most students who graduate without being able to read or write can’t get jobs. They end becoming criminals to survive or take drugs. We are becoming a third world nation because our public schools need total reform. Home schooling or private schooling are the best. Parents need to be taught how to organize to do that.
Vote NO for any school money.
Like many other districts, they used the money for pay raises and creating “administrative” positions – money that they hoped wouldn’t go away. How much of that money do you think went to HVAC upgrades and other facility related issues? In a neighboring district, next to none went for the things it was supposed to go to – but there were new positions created for administrators with titles like “Executive Director” and “Assistant Supervisor”.
I bet you have no idea what it was “supposed” to go towards. I also bet you have no idea what RSD used its funds for or even how much they got.
She probably didn’t want to be doxxed by a bunch of “say no to schools” lunatics. That’s why.
Proposition 12 IS an increase in funding. Over the last 3 years, teachers have received Salary increases of 31.2%. This has crowded out expenses like chromebooks and roof repairs to be pushed into a Capital Levy. Before the 2022 teacher strikes, Ridgefield didn’t have budget problems. But the REA insisted to push for unachievable salary step ups in pay.
Residents of Ridgefield do not get salary increases that exceed 1-2% per year. Yet the contracts will be negotiated again summer of 2025.
A Vote NO sends a message to the school district that the budget needs to be tightened, not exceeded.
I am getting soooooo tired of the luddites and brain dead opponents of good education continually hiding behind fake organizations designed to keep the people who most need public education in the dark and afraid to vote in the best interests of their children, and their community. Just once I’d like to see one of these nimrods tell the truth and say: “I oppose spending money on education” because either “other people paid for my education but I don’t want to pay for others” or “I’m cheap and I don’t care about my community; I want to keep everything I have for myself”. Just once.
Bad idea. You don’t think the district understands its own financial situation? A failed levy will just shutter the doors. How can this possibly be your solution or your conclusion? Have you really not gotten involved and asked questions? Have you talked to administration about what’s going on?
BTW, most of those salaries increases came from the state finally addressing the McCleary lawsuit. You failed to mention that very critical detail.
So I just checked the Voter Pamphlet and saw you are proposing levy rates that are much less than what the state permits (asking $1.75 when you could be asking $2.50).
What I was also surprised to read was the against statement in the pamphlet completely twisted the facts!!!! Those anti-school folks had to misconstrue the total dollar amount. They led me to believe the ask was $44 million! It’s not. The school is only asking for $14 to $15 million per year. The anti-group had to add up three years worth in order to FOOL people.
Then they falsely state – again to MISLEAD people – that it is an increase to $2.59 per thousand. That is actually more than the law even permits. The law caps it at $2.50. And the school is only asking $1.75!
So how did they come up with this lie? They have to add BOTH propositions together to get this. So it appears the intent is to make it sound so dramatic and scare people. Maybe they did this so they could be lazy and copy and paste the same statement onto both propositions.
I guess they presume both propositions will pass. Sounds good to me. The price is a bargain! You’re basically getting capital levy projects thrown in for what is essentially the cap on operations alone. If they didn’t do the math, I might not have even realized it.