Spokane7
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February 16, 2012 in City
School districts cite reasons some levies had low support
Concerns about money, dissatisfaction with school districts and frustration with a state budget that expects more basic education to be covered by taxpayers are reasons area educators gave for their levies failing or barely passing.
While the majority of Spokane County school districts’ levies comfortably passed on Tuesday, Deer Park and Riverside school districts fell short. Nine Mile Falls and East Valley school districts succeeded with just over 50 percent approval.
“We obviously need to do something different, but I’m not sure what that will be,” said Roberta Kramer, Riverside School District superintendent. The district is split between north Spokane and south Pend Oreille counties, and the district asked voters to approve a maintenance and operations levy as well as a technology levy.
“We probably had a pretty big ask,” Kramer said.
The district will likely consider changing the levy amount if they ask voters again, she said.
Becky Cooke, Deer Park School District superintendent, said the administration will go to the board and they will decide what to do next, if that’s necessary. Cooke’s district is split up over three counties – Spokane, Pend Oreille and Stevens. The levy was close to passing, but it was still failing with only 49 percent approval, according to updated results released Wednesday.
School districts will have at least one more chance to pass a levy – in April – before making any budget cuts.
The levy is 20 percent of the district’s operating budget, Cooke said. Without that money, it would be “devastating” to the district.
Nine Mile Falls School District, which is split between Spokane and Stevens counties, was still close with just 50.5 percent approval of its levy as of Wednesday.
“I think it is close because folks are tired of paying more for schools because of state cuts,” Superintendent Brian Talbott said. “Schools are being forced to ask people to pick up the tab to continue programs.”
But, he added, “I have to remain optimistic.”
The Spokane County Elections Office counted 14,000 more ballots Wednesday; 3,000 more remain.
With those votes in, East Valley School District had over 52 percent approval.
The narrow win was not too surprising for Superintendent John Glenewinkel.
“I think it was close for a variety of reasons,” he said. “There is a real tax issue out there. People are concerned about their taxes and their money. I think there was a lot of misinformation out there. I think there are some people who are unhappy with the district. I think we would be naive to think that doesn’t have some impact on our potential support.”
Spokane Public Schools avoids further cuts 
riversideparent on February 16 at 12:01 p.m.
The first recommendation that I would make is to fire the current Riverside School District superintendent. Then I think there should be a very hard look at each of the schools upper administration. There are huge issues they have with how they treat special needs children and how they handle the student body. Certain state and Federal laws regarding the treatment and teaching of these students are blatantly disregarded. Drugs, and abuse run rampant through the junior high and high school. The administrations take on all of this is ” if it was not caught on the camera’s it did not happen”.
woodj64 on February 17 at 7:55 a.m.
I teach, coach, and live in the Deer Park School District. My two sons attend Deer Park Elementary. Both have special needs. Their progress has been remarkable. It’s disparaging to think anyone would disrupt the quality of their education over the modest expense of a simple levy (one of the lowest in the region). Don’t our citizens understand how this will depress the local economy? I’m a Stevens County resident and my property taxes have gone up $50,000 in the past four years (that’s right…since the recession). So what!! Should I kick Peter to punish Paul? Since coming to Deer Park in 1999, I’ve poured myself and a ridiculous amount of my own money into Deer Park students and athletes. My school receives the best of me while my own family, all too often, gets what’s left at day’s end. For the first time since 1999, I’m questioning the validity of my efforts. For the first time, I just don’t feel welcome here.
The_Seer on February 17 at 8:25 a.m.
wood: Stick to “coaching” because composition is clearly not your calling.
Why would you question the “validity” of your efforts because a levy failed? The two should have nothing to do with each other if your heart and head are in the right places as an educator. Why don’t you just admit it: You are bummed because your supplemental contract for coaching the “C” squad girls hoops program is circling the drain.
Maybe now people can see what I mean when I state our schools would be much better off losing athletics and letting all of these “coaches” like wood demonstrate their value in the private sector.
riversideparent: If my child had special needs and the school they attended weren’t following IDEA and NCLB mandates I would be the one holding people accountable. Waiting for an administrator or a superintendent to intervene is poor parenting. Besides, there isn’t a single principal, vice principal, or superintendent in Spokane County who holds a special education endorsement to their regular teaching certificate and there is a reason for that: Special Ed. teachers aren’t “climbers,” they stay in a classroom their entire careers to help children overcome their learning disabilities.
riversideparent on February 17 at 8:41 a.m.
The_Seer,
you are some what correct in your statement. The Administration does not hold any of those endorsements. The other part of your statement that special ed teachers do not try to do something about is false. From first hand experience, some of the teachers do try and get thing change. They go to the administration, they go to OSPI, only to be shut down and told about there job is a concern if waves are made. Going to the union in these matters have not helped either. Riverside is such a repressed district that it is the bastard child of the school districts. Many teachers have pulled there own child out of this school district to send them to other districts. Unless I am mistaken Roberta Kramer has taken her own son Andrew out of the school district and sent him to another. Know if that doesn’t say something about the school system there i am not sure what does.
flyerd1 on February 18 at 3:53 p.m.
Regardless of your levy beliefs it should be disconcerting that we seem to have such a biased newspaper: There was a time when news agencies dissected both sides of issues and allowed equal time for each side to represent their arguments. It seems the Spokesman has completely lost it’s way in this regard and forsaken those historical charges that their communities entrusted them with. Rather, they move ever closer to a checkout stand publication with little use. The recent levy controversy is yet another example of extreme bias:
In regard to published articles, guest columns, & letters there were:
33 Pro Levy (including numerous “staff editorials” and “Guest Opinion” columns with NO 200 word limits)…
vs.
3 Anti-Levy (with none of the aforementioned “extra long” columns). Interestingly (by pure coincidence I’m sure), 2 of the 3 were posted 2 days before the voting deadline (after most people have typically already voted)…
11x more pro levy and multiple allowed to be greater than the 200 word limit. “News” Bias? The answer seems obvious and should be seen as sad and disturbing “by everyone”.
Btw, I sent 2 in myself and neither was published. It’s hard to believe that I was the “only” one that had that happen don’t you think?
It’s very naive to think there were simply 11x more pro than anti-levy letters and that most anti letters “just happened” to arrive such that they could only be published “2 days” prior to the voting deadline…