Can’t support levy this time

Spokane Public Schools asks voters to say “yes for kids.” I have voted yes to preserve library assistants who helped students and watched that position virtually disappear. I have voted yes to preserve school librarians and watched the number of librarians reduced and my school library closed to students two days a week.

District administration says it has reduced the central office budget. True, but they did it by relying on teachers, building budgets and parent organizations to fill the gap.

During this economic downturn, teachers’ income has fallen. However, district administration negotiated a sizable pay increase for building principals and then received a healthy pay increase for themselves under the guise of needing to be paid more than those they supervise.

The state reimburses districts an average of $56,000 per administrator, but district administrators receive considerably more. The additional pay comes out of the levy money intended for our kids.

The governor of Washington receives $166,891 per year. The state superintendent of public instruction receives $121,618. Our district superintendent’s total annual salary is $222,576.

With 63 district administrators receiving over $100,000 per year and students continually impacted by budget cuts, I cannot continue to support the levy.

Oweta Floyd

Spokane