Letters for July 19, 2024
WV students not absent, just experientially learning
I am writing on behalf of the West Valley School District in response to the recent article titled “Amid nationwide struggle to rebound school attendance to pre-COVID numbers, one school district stands out.” The article highlights a trend in our district’s absenteeism data, and we would like to provide some critical context and clarification.
Upon reviewing the data, we discovered that the increase was largely due to a data entry error where school-related field trips were mistakenly coded as absences. This error significantly impacted data at one school that heavily utilizes field trips to support experiential learning, which skewed our overall absenteeism statistics. To clarify, many students who were marked absent were actually participating in educational field trips that provide valuable, curriculum-based experiences outside the classroom.
Our team is correcting this data to ensure our records more accurately reflect our students’ attendance and participation in school activities. In addition, school staff have taken steps over the past few years to celebrate students publicly for being at school and provide valuable resources to families whose children may experience barriers to attendance. By offering a virtual track and schools with multiple pathways to learning, West Valley School District remains devoted to the education and well-being of all students.
We appreciate the opportunity to provide a more accurate picture of our district’s commitment to student engagement and success. We are dedicated to transparent reporting and are taking necessary steps to ensure the accuracy of our attendance records moving forward.
Vicki Leifer
Spokane Valley
Get smart about how we update the grid
The recent article titled “Data Center Boom May Imperil Power Supply” would lead a reader to believe that our lights will suddenly go out as massive data centers are turned on. This is far from the truth. Furthermore, data centers are not the “bad guy” – they are what power the myriad apps and software services we use every day. They also help America remain dominant in high tech, arguably the last major industry where we lead the world.
Yes, data centers, electric vehicles, heat pumps and other more cost-efficient electricity powered technologies are increasing electricity demand. Rather than panic, how about we get excited about what this means for the future – for our economy, our health (just look at the smog in the Spokane Valley) and the climate.
Solar and onshore wind are cheaper than any other form of electricity and guess what? Once you build it, the fuel is free, which is exactly why our current hydro power is so cheap. And yes, the sun doesn’t always shine, and the wind doesn’t always blow, but it often does in Eastern Washington and battery costs have dropped to the point where solar plus battery storage is now cost competitive with the lowest-cost fossil fuel power plants.
Help build a better future by pressuring our utilities and the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission to get smarter about how we update the grid and produce more electricity.
Nathan South
Spokane