Newsletter

C.V. Educator

A Publication of the Central Valley Education Association

Newsletter Archive

December 2008

Central Valley Voters to Consider Levy on February Ballot

Registered voters in the Central Valley School District will be asked to consider an important school funding measure on the February 3, 2009 ballot. The district is seeking voter approval of a three-year School Programs and Operations Replacement Levy (also known as Maintenance and Operations or M&O levy). The proposed levy is not a new tax, but renews and replaces the current levy which expires in December 2009.

The proposed levy funds the gap between state and federal funding and the revenues needed to maintain ongoing educational programs and activities for students. The current three-year levy provides about 15 percent of the District’s annual operating budget or $17 million per year. When Central Valley voters approve operations levies, the state contributes additional “levy equalization” revenue of $4 million to the district, bringing the total levy-generated funding to 19 percent or about $21 million.

Levy funding supports virtually all educational programs in Central Valley schools, such as:

Voters approve a fixed amount, to be shared among all district taxpayers. The anticipated cost to taxpayers of the proposed three-year School Programs and Operations Replacement Levy is as follows:

Year Fixed Amount Levy Rate*

*Estimated

Detailed information is available by visiting www.cvsd.org or calling (509) 228-5405.

It Is Time To Help Out

The levy committee needs our help. With the weakening economy, the partial loss of levy equalization money and the real threat of I-728 monies being reduced or eliminated, the passage of the levy this February is more important than ever. The CVEA is over 800 strong and has the potential to unify our community. Now is the time to step up and support our kids and our families.

What can you do?

  1. Sign up for the CVCE (Central Valley Citizens for Education) payroll deduction plan to help support our district run levy and bond campaigns. All funds to run these efforts must be raised outside of the district budget. Fill out the form in your box and return it to payroll. A few dollars from each of us will not fully fund the program but it will go a long way to help out.
  2. Join your building team and participate in door belling the neighborhood around your school. This will be a very low risk activity in which you simply knock on a door, hand them a flyer and invite them to vote. Neighborhoods will be selected based on their historically strong support of school levies. You will work in pairs and spend no more than a couple of hours.
  3. Support the levy in your neighborhood and when talking to friends and family. The teachers are the face of the district, more so than any other group.

We often speak of how we are all a big family, a team that is working together for the same end result. This is one of those times we can step up and support each other. I hope you can find time to help out. Lets make this an impressive showing.

THANK YOU

The CVEA would like to acknowledge the following staff members for their time and dedication as they worked the phone banks on behalf of Governor Gregoire. The amazing results in this election supported the concept that these efforts really do pay dividends.

Peggy Anderson, Vicki Arnold, Brandon Benefield, Larry Bernbaum, Carla Bradford, Shirley Brick, Nancy Delaurentis, Terri Drexel, Vince Eberly, Josh Kaiel, Scott Knowles, Steve Lalonde, Jan McFarland, Jim Olson, Jim Osmuss, Evonne Panther, Brenda Parsons, Matha Reese, Paul Schneider, David Smith, Suzanne Smith, Jen Stalwick, Mary Anne Sullivan, Tom Sullivan and Ann Warner.

My apologies to anyone I may have overlooked.

Home Is Where The Emails Go

Next year will bring another contract negotiations where we will enter an open bargain with the district. In order to do a better job of communicating, we plan to build a database of home email addresses. Our access to the district email system can be cut off at any time and it is not readily available to us during the summer months. Because phone trees are cumbersome and difficult to maintain we are moving toward using home emails to notify our members of contract issues. Rest assured that your email address will not be compromised in any way nor will we uselessly invade your privacy.

We will start the process after the New Year and will go building by building so you won’t have to do anything before you hear from us.

CALENDAR

Dick plans to be in the following buildings during lunch to meet members and answer questions.

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