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 and community members are beginning to listen and understand that something is amiss. For example, in the Evergreen Public School system only 61.2% of the students passed the English Language Arts (ELA) test by the 12th grade. It is an astonishing fact that almost one-third of the students are not proficient in English. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction data shows high percentages of students at Evergreen are not able to pass three basic subjects: math, English language arts, and science.
What is the solution to these problems, and how does the levy relate to it? It starts with the budget. Not everyone believes in the same priorities. The State of Washington claims to fund basic education but simultaneously makes mandates that lack fiscal ways and means. The EPS board believes they should follow those mandates at the expense of basic educational services. The district goes to the public and proposes two (2) levy’s: Prop 7 and 8, to supplement their lack of prioritizing education over unfunded mandates. Unless the public pushes back and says, “We’ve have had enough,” we cannot expect any better educational outcomes for our children. The budget needs to correctly represent the true priorities of education first, or we will continue down the path of declining grades, low academic achievement, and very unhappy young adults.
How much pain is fiscal mismanagement going to cost the taxpayers if they pass the Levy? Consider the median priced home in Clark County at $528,000; in tax year 2026, it will cost you $1452. You will pay $121 per month because the District chooses to budget for DEI, and EV Buses, over Sports, Music, and Theater. Ouch!
That is not the only taxpayer pain Prop 7 and 8 are causing. The current declining enrollment at the district is well known; it is declining 17% year over year. You would think that the district taxes would be going down, but that is not the case with prop 7 and 8. The district has increased the total tax, when you consider the bond and levy added together. On their website they make it appear as if the combined total of the bond and levy is flat. However, as the bond rate decreases, they are increasing the levy faster to maintain revenues. They take in the same amount of money, but with fewer students to serve. Their treasure chest is growing!
I need to make one last point to financially savvy voters about the levy and its structure. The district has issued no itemized statement showing the disbursement of the Levy proceeds. Who knows if 90% of the money is going to cybersecurity and only 10% to sports, music, and theater. We do not know if 95% is going to salaries and only 5% to other items. How much will the security response systems cost? Why do we need more online curriculum? Only 60% of the students at Evergreen public schools attend 90% of the time. Isn’t the point to get students to come to school, learn and graduate? Why doesn’t the district clarify the details of the expenditures? The district’s sly innuendo is as follows: if we lose the Levy, you will lose sports, band, choir, and theater. They are tugging at the emotional heart strings not logic.
Re-balancing the budget to emphasize the goal of education will achieve academic success, and in the end bring a sense of belonging and purpose to our children. Removing the mandates is the first step, secondly more money will not help. It just allows the district to be disobedient year after year. There are no checks and balances in place to control the board. We the voting public needs to be clear, “No more money if the grades do not improve;” if not leadership will need to change. Fiscal responsibility with academic excellence needs to be the norm.
Let us all take a stand for our children. Voting NO on Proposition 7 and 8 will put the focus back on education and give us more money for those who need it the most.
If you would like more facts and details about the Evergreen School District, check the following websites:
School Data Project (Evergreen)
Phil Kronebusch
While I enjoy the content of your articles, I am distracted by the punctuation sometimes used. Why do you make the plural of Evergreen Levy “Evergreen Levy’s”? It seems important to use proper punctuation when writing an article about educational matters.
I accept all responsibility. While I love to write I don’t always use proper grammar. I’ll continue to attempt to be more diligent. Sometimes I trust the built in grammar/spell checker which may want something different that I am allowing.