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...]
Is McCleary really to blame for Washington’s K-12 budget woes?
This article was published at The Washington Policy Center on Oct 6, 2026: https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/publications/detail/is-mccleary-really-to-blame-for-washingtons-budget-woes During a recent debate on repealing the state income tax, opponents of I-645 claimed that the state budget's rapid expansion is driven by the Supreme Court’s McCleary decision. K–12 funding has grown rapidly since that decision, but since 2019, spending on everything else has expanded nearly three times as fast, accounting for nearly three-quarters of total state budget growth. The Supreme Court formally ended its oversight of the McCleary decision in June 2018. McCleary enforced the state’s … [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...]
Clark County resident Larry Roe shares his thoughts on the the upcoming school levies
From the ClarkCountyToday.com site We need to be having an active and urgent discussion of the goals of our public schools in light of the affordability of our neighborhoods for families with school-age children, the decreasing academic performance of our students, and the increased absenteeism in our schools. Our K-12 public schools have been taking on many roles in addition to the basic academic and athletic training for students that was envisioned in our State Constitution. We have added meals for students, preparation of young children for kindergarten, extended education for students with special needs for an additional four years, resource centers to support young families … [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...]
Hockinson School District Feb 2026 Levy
Hockinson voters need more than the usual glossy-brochure generalities about this levy request: Because state school spending is at record levels. State funding has more than doubled in just over 10 years: $13.1B to $30.1B, far outstripping inflation. In 2023, 71 HSD administrators and teachers (53%) earned over $100K, while the median income in Hockinson was $88K for men, $63K for women. Because our taxes are high and getting higher. The legislature passed the biggest tax increases in history last year, and is proposing more for 2026, including significant property tax rate hikes (HB 1334, 1870). Levy proponents argue that the levy benefits property values. But higher property values … [Read more...]
Enhancement Levys and their burden
These examples are in Northern WA State but are relevant. Yelm Community Schools has more than 3x the seniors over age 65 poverty compared to Bethel's School District and 31% higher seniors over age 65 poverty compared to North Thurston. Yelm taxpayers have an elderly population that needs protection so they can stay in their homes. According to this data, Yelm Community Schools had 92,014 less population, 15,106 less FTE students, and 390 less FTE teachers than Bethel School District. According to this data, Yelm Community Schools had 79,119 less population, 9,089 less FTE students, and 255 less FTE teachers than North Thurston School District. Home … [Read more...]
2025 School Levy Pass/Fail Report
Here is data straight from OSPI on how many levy's went to voters and the outcomes. Take a look at the spreadsheet for details. Following came from a Facebook Group. Let’s talk about the failed levies (Capital, Enrichment, Transportation) across the state as more Washington taxpayers are saying “No” to unlimited amounts of taxation in the first part of 2025 according to OSPI’s website not just Yelm taxpayers. >>Side Note: this doesn’t take into account students who are home schooled, attending private school, or attending other learning methods that aren’t publicly subsidized. Looking over the numbers- * 79 requests for some type of levy in Washington state in … [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...]
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