Time and time again, I’ve mentioned the levies to my peers and they have been surprised by the changes that could come if the levy fails. Although most students won’t be voting on this levy measure, we would still be majorly impacted by the changes within our school if the levy fails.

If this were happening a few years ago, I would be completely in the dark about the lasting impacts of this levy; I wouldn’t have cared about the politics of it all. Now, it’s at the forefront of my thoughts. I’m a senior this year, so I won’t necessarily see the impacts, however I have seen and experienced the value that comes with Tahoma, and I hope we don’t have to give up the things that make us so great.

The Educational Programs and Operations (EPO) levy that is on the table right now is a replacement levy for the current one that will be expiring in the upcoming school year. The funds from this levy will go towards sports/clubs, staff pay, and many of the extra programs that are available at Tahoma. Conversely, if the levy fails the school will only receive “basic education” funding through the state.

I’ve been in Tahoma for over six years, and I know that “basic education” is not something that defines our schools. In the high school alone I see our We the People Team accomplishing things far above basic education. I know that our Robotics team — who will be heading to the World’s competition — is teaching students skills that are far above what they would learn through basic education. These, along with many other amazing programs, are at risk of losing funding in the upcoming years due to a possible levy failure. Tahoma proves itself to be Future Ready because of the many things it can provide for the students along with the preparation we need to be successful in the real world.

On March 29, I attended the second informational meeting for the levy. Through that, I learned more about the individual things that could be lost in the upcoming year. Ms. Bucy, a physical education teacher from Mapleview Middle School, expressed the value that middle school, C-team, and JV sports have on students. Sports are more than who the best players are; sports are about uniting students and encouraging them to strive for themselves and their teammates. The passion behind Ms. Bucy as the shared her concerns for potential cuts was inspiring and helped me see the true value that comes with C-team and middle school sports.

Although I’m a senior, and these potential cuts won’t impact me, I worry about the underclassmen and the future students. With a failure of this levy, a six-period day could ensue. That, along with the state’s increased credit requirement moving up to 24 credits, leaves no room for failure. A student would have to pass all classes in order to graduate on time without the need to take an online makeup course. This is also worrisome because Tahoma would lose funding towards summer school programs, thus leaving students in a fight to get the credit back. The stress put on students is already high enough, so potentially adding this could lead to disaster. The eight period day provides students with a safety net in order to save them if they don’t do well in a class.

I hope Tahoma students continue to have the opportunity to grow and accomplish amazing things through our schools. I have been lucky enough to attend a school that provides everything they can for my education, and I hope future students get to experience the same thing. Voting for the EPO levy is open now through April 24th, so I encourage students to take time to discuss what this levy means with their parents.

For more information:

https://sites.google.com/view/tahomalevyinformation/levyuse?authuser=0

http://voteyestahoma.com/