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...]
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...]
Opinion: Rising budgets, declining outcomes; Ridgefield’s educational paradox
This is Part 2 of a review of the Ridgefield School District published at Clark County Today on January 22nd Area resident Rob Anderson says Ridgefield School District’s ballooning budget has not led to better academic outcomes Rob Anderson for Clark County Today The first article took a closer look at Ridgefield School District’s two levy proposals: Proposition 12, an operational levy, and Proposition 13, labeled as a “Technology and Capital” levy. Proposition 12 requests a 41% increase in operational funding compared to 2022, amounting to $44 million annually. Proposition 13 seeks $21 million, primarily for capital projects, including a previously rejected proposal for a new … [Read more...]
Opinion: The people behind the numbers in the Hockinson School Bond
This article was published in ClarkCountyToday.com on Jan 21, 2025 Area resident Carolyn Schultz-Rathbun offers her insight and perspective on the Hockinson School Bond Carolyn Schultz-Rathbun for Clark County Today At first glance, the Hockinson school bond measure looks like every school bond conversation everywhere. Parents and administrators enthuse over things the new bond would provide: a second elementary school, safety improvements at existing schools, a high school career and technical building, a covered outdoor area at the middle school, improved traffic flow at the current elementary school, a new high school track, and artificial turf on the high school … [Read more...]
Voting against the Evergreen Levys is a good decision – Updated Jan 27th
Update Jan 27th: This link will take you to the brochure that is being distributed by the NO team: Please Vote No On Proposition 7 and 8 (1)-1 - Adobe cloud storage Why would anyone vote against something that helps children? Why would anyone vote against extracurricular educational experiences that children get fulfillment from? Well, the answer is not simple. The educational system in the United States has been in decline for decades. But the fact is that most people turn their head and just do not want to admit it. The results of standardized test scores that help educators assess how students are performing have been surfacing in the news and in parent forums. Parents … [Read more...]
Vancouver School District – 2025 Levy
The original article was published at ClarkCountyToday.com on January 18, 2025. Opinion: Why does the Vancouver School District need capital operations money at all given the massive bond in 2017? Larry Roe & Dick Rylander for Clark County Today The Vancouver School District is asking taxpayers and voters to approve a new levy. Approval would be a 6-year levy (the longest allowed and two times in length of the last) that will collect over $83.36 million. This is for tech and capital operations. (Question: why do they need capital operations money at all given the massive bond in 2017 that you are still paying for in taxes through … [Read more...]
Opinion: ‘We are running short on cash’
This article was published at ClarkCountyToday.com On Jan 7, 2025 Clark County residents Dick Rylander and Larry Roe offer the first of a series of columns on funding for public schools Dick Rylander & Larry Roe for Clark County Today Washington State public schools are at the center of a financial bubble and standing at the precipice of failures. As a state we have promoted the institution of public schools as the vehicle to improve our community. Pundits have jumped on board to promote platforms for advocates to suggest many education programs that will make our schools and our communities better (S.E.L.; PBIS; Common Core, DEI and other programs). Our politicians have … [Read more...]
Baby Bust Will Soon Reshape Public Schools
Authored by Jay Greene via The Epoch Times The most powerful force shaping the future of education is the sharp decline in babies being born in the United States and worldwide. As Americans have fewer children, and fewer children immigrate from abroad, the school-age population will decline dramatically over the next few decades. The United States has experienced a baby bust once before in the wake of the baby boom in the 1970s and 1980s, which gives us some idea of what to expect. But unlike the previous baby bust, which was a temporary artifact of the boomers aging out of school, the upcoming decline in school-age population has no end in sight. We are about to experience a … [Read more...]
Commentary: Ridgefield School District capital bonds — dollars and cents
This article was posted in TheRelector on April 8, 2024 The last three to four years have been difficult for many of us, not the least of which are the financial burdens. As I write this, gasoline is up more than 40 cents per gallon to over $4 in the last two weeks. Assessed home values continue to skyrocket; the median home price in Clark County is now about $627,000. In the last 12 years, the Washington state budget has ballooned from $30 billion to $74 billion. Taxes are up massively. Inflation has hit 40-year highs. School districts have given large compensation increases to personnel putting a squeeze on operational budgets. Between 52% and 54% of property taxes go to public … [Read more...]
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