Published at ClarkCountyToday.com Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and may not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com I recently attended the Battle Ground School District levy information session and heard one side of a debate. District Superintendent Shelly Whitten gave an overview of the levy proposal on the ballot, which calls for the collection of $116 million dollars over three years. T.J. Kelly, the chief financial officer from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for the state, presented the state’s assessment of the district’s financial position if the levy is not approved. The … [Read more...]
Battle Ground School District Nov 2026 Levy Ballot
Should you vote Yes or No on the levy? There are two camps: (1) Those who believe that student education should be funded no matter what the cost and, (2) Those who say it's gotten too expensive and vote No. Should this be an emotional or logical/fact based decision? Emotional Position (Yes vote) “Our children shouldn't pay the price for an adult budget dispute.” Protecting the child who needs the most help. Safety is difficult to put a price on. Give teenagers something to belong to. Don't close doors before children discover what they're capable of. A community has an obligation to its next generation. But there is an important counter-emotional argument A … [Read more...]
Opinion: ‘It may be time for McCleary 2.0’
Dick Rylander provides an analysis of the Battle Ground School District’s November 2026 EP&O Levy Dick Rylander for Clark County Today This article is my analysis based on my research and interpretations. It contains a significant amount of detail and numbers. As such, if you need clarifications please reach out to someone whose opinion you trust and ask for their assistance. Every attempt has been made to be accurate and, in the case of projections or estimates, to incorporate information gleaned from conversations. If there are factual errors please notify me. On Thursday July 16, 2026 the BGSD Superintendent (Shelly Whitten) presented a levy proposal to the School Board … [Read more...]
Why vote no on the Battle Ground School District levy? Updated Jan 24, 2026
Update Jan 24, 2026 BGSD Student Headcount Question I see a number of 13,000+ students claimed in the district. However, when I look at your last report of October 2025 and even the one you will present on Jan 26th I don't see anything that is over 13,000. https://go.boarddocs.com/wa/bgps/Board.nsf/files/DQLMQ95C3BBD/$file/Enrollment%20Board%202025-26%20as%20of%20DEC%202025.pptx%20(1).pdf Is it number that combines several charts data? When I approach this as a normal person in the community I look at FTE and Headcount. I also use the last completed year since those are known. I also note that the highest numbers are in Dept/Oct with June as the lowest this years data is … [Read more...]
The multi-million dollar cash grab in Washington schools
From an article published at ClarkCountyToday.com Yacolt resident Mark Rose says here in Clark County, the disconnect between the district office and the classroom has officially hit a breaking point Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and may not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com You know that sinking feeling when you open your property tax bill? That specific mix of dread and frustration? Keep that feeling in mind the next time a local school district tells you they’re broke. Here in Clark County, the disconnect between the district office and the classroom has officially hit a breaking point. We’re … [Read more...]
Southwest Washington State School Board candidates Nov 2025
This post contains links to each of the school district races we covered in Southwest Washington State. Click the link for the race(s) you are interested in. Please reach out to the candidates and ask your own questions. Consider voting for candidates who share their views and opinions. Those who don't share raise a question...why don't they? You can email us with any updates you get at: swweducation at gmail dot com It's worth noting that two of the candidates running unopposed chose not to provide even the basic information: Elected Experience - No information submitted Other Professional Experience - No information submitted Education - No information … [Read more...]
BGSD District 5 Marrott vs Adelson-Journey
Note: As of 1:30pm on Oct 31st this non-race is getting more "views" than any of the other 20 local races. No idea why. Neither candidate responded to outreach efforts Apparently Solina Adelson-Journey withdrew from the election even though her name will appear on the ballot. Candidates were sent a list of 12 questions with an offer to publish their responses. We received no response. Here are the questions in case you want to contact Marshall. When someone chooses not to respond the question is why? Running unopposed provides no benefit to answer. Update: The Democrat Party has posted their endorsement of Mr. Marrott. Perhaps vote for Ms. Adelson-Journey because the … [Read more...]
BGSD District 3 Grewell vs Worthy
Update October 24th: Two new articles published in local new sources regarding this race - Letter: ‘Parents are tired of schools overstepping their authority’ - ClarkCountyToday.com and Letter: ‘Meet the new boss, same as the old boss’ - ClarkCountyToday.com Update: October 22nd: Article in The Reflector re: Grewell: https://www.thereflector.com/stories/letter-to-the-editor-grewell-focused-on-parental-rights,389468 Article in The Reflector re: Worthy: https://www.thereflector.com/stories/letter-to-the-editor-worthy-unworthy,389466 Update: Oct 16th - The League of Women Voters hosted a Battle Ground races event. Following is what was reported by The … [Read more...]
BGSD School Director, District No. 1 Sibley vs Heine-Withee
Update: October 16th - League of Women's voters held a candidate forum for Battle Ground. Following is what The Reflector reported: Battle Ground School District, Director District 1 In the second forum, longtime Battle Ground teacher Lorri Sibley and parent advocate Jennifer Heine-Withee outlined differing priorities for the district but shared goals of stronger communication, safer schools, and support for non-college-bound students. Sibley, who retired in June after 32 years of teaching, said she ran because she “believes in the district” and wants to use her classroom experience to strengthen it. “I’ve been in the trenches. I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly,” she said. … [Read more...]
BGSD April 2025 Levy “NO” Position
In February (2025) the Battle Ground School District ran a 4 year levy (EP&O). It failed by 60 votes to get 50% +1. The school board directors voted to put the exact same levy back in front of the voters in April (they can legally run a levy or bond 2x in a year). This article is intended to share reasons why someone might vote NO on the levy. It is of course up to each voter to look at the Pros and Cons and then make their own decision. Note: Update: According to the Clark County WA Elections Dept. the estimated cost to the Battle Ground School District for the February election was about $180,000. The April special ballot cost...are you ready? Comes in around $240,000. So the cost … [Read more...]