The Washington State Legislature continues to slash education funding. Although Northshore was part of a court case that determined the state is not adequately funding education, more cuts appear certain in the coming years.

But, the Legislature also threw school districts a lifeline last session by allowing local communities to temporarily increase the amount of local school support through a supplemental levy. Because the state changed the rules for local funding of school districts, the school board sought community input whether to present a supplemental levy to voters.

Community response was positive, and the Northshore School District Board of Directors voted to present a four-year, $12 million supplemental levy to voters on Aug. 17 to help sustain funding for the district’s current educational programs.

The district has made $20 million in budget cuts and adjustments over the past five years. Further state funding cuts may mean additional reductions of programs that benefit Northshore children and job cuts to teachers and support staff.

Our local levy money has ceased to fund extras and increasingly funds basic education costs not funded by the state. Transportation, for example, is funded by the state at 50-60 percent of its actual cost, with the rest funded through the local levy.

This supplemental levy capacity would only help to sustain, not enhance, funding for current educational programs.

The board wrestled with the difficult decision of approving a request for higher tax authority in the current economic climate. But, we know that being frugal managers is no longer enough. The “belt tightening” cannot make up for simple, adequate funding of education. There are efforts in the legislature to provide a better funding model for the state’s students, but the end result is years away. We hold the education of today’s students in our hands.

We want voters to have the necessary information to make an informed decision, and the board welcomes your questions and comments about the need to pursue every avenue available to us to secure the future of our children. Please contact the board by e-mail at schoolboard@nsd.org. Information about the supplemental levy is available online, www.nsd.org, and is included in the summer Community Magazine mailed to families last week. Please e-mail any specific questions about the supplemental levy to levy@nsd.org.

We are grateful for the Northshore community’s strong history of support of levies and bonds, and we have worked to honor that support through the years by keeping tax rates consistent. We will continue to honor your trust and be good stewards of public funds to support education.

We ask for your continued support to educate our children because they are our greatest resource.

Dawn McCravey is Northshore School District Board of Directors president.