Letters: January 23, 2020

Colfax Levy

I want to encourage fellow citizens to support the Colfax School’s levy request. It is both a privilege and responsibility to invest resources wisely if younger generations are to serve well when their time comes. The proposal is deserving support for the following reasons:

The levy is citizen driven. The levy committee represented not only parents, but farmers and tax-payers as well.

Our students are achieving. Jennings Elementary and Colfax Junior/Senior High School have both received awards for high performance. Our co-curricular programs have impressive turn-outs and energetic participation. Not only do our students score high in college readiness measures they perform well beyond high school.

The amount replaces an expiring levy plus only essential additions. The new state funding formula was not kind to communities like ours. The legislature sought a remedy by raising the amount local schools could request. Our Citizen’s Committee examined levy requests and kept taxes responsibly low, increasing the replacement by only 30 cents per thousand of assessed valuation.

The board is managing our bond monies well. Not only the phases of construction are proceeding nicely, but administrators, teachers and staff have achieved a working environment that is orderly, and the business of schooling is prospering.

Let’s keep it going well with our vote.

-Don Cox,

Colfax

Few words

I read Frank Watson's opinion piece and have to respond with my opinion.

I could use a lot of words, but basically I feel it is outside of American values and not patriotic to support a racist bigot homophobe misogynist.

It's not a matter of patriotism, it's about common human decency.

-Bob Curry,

Endicott

Privilege

We are encouraging the voters of Colfax School District to support the upcoming Enrichment Levy. We are nearing the end of physical updates to our facilities which are on time and within budget.

This upcoming levy will fill the shortfall which state funds do not cover. We have the chance and privilege to support our public education system in the Colfax School District.

-Dan & Lorraine Fulfs,

Colfax

Modest increase

School District taxpayers are given the opportunity to vote on Special Levies either annually, every two years or every three years. Colfax School District has chosen the every two year cycle, and on Feb. 11, taxpayers of the district will have the opportunity to vote for the next replacement levy. It used to be referred to as the M & O levy, or maintenance and operation levy.

Since the Washington State Legislature began designating school district funds, the levies have been given the title of “Enrichment Levy.” An enrichment curriculum includes music, arts, field trips, highly capable programs, college in the high school, credit retrieval and elective course offerings. This levy will provide and enhance extracurricular programs such as FFA, FCLA, FBLA, Knowledge Bowl, clubs, athletics, band, choir, senior projects and drama, to name a few.

Also included in the levy are transportation, facilities and maintenance. One would think with all of the renovation being done to the two schools, maintenance would fall down the list, but just like when you buy a new car, you have to change the oil, add washer fluid, change wiper blades and change tires. There will be a continuing need for there to be some maintenance.

I have been a member of the Colfax Citizens for Quality Schools Committee for more than 30 years. As a graduate of CHS, I have been proud of our taxpayers in the manner they have supported the school district in prior years. This year's replacement levy is asking you to vote for a modest increase of $0.30 per thousand of assessed valuation to $1.97 per thousand, which will amount to an increase of about $75 per household.

Colfax School District has been recognized by the state of Washington for student achievement in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Colfax students score high on state and college readiness assessments.

On Feb. 11, I am asking you to join Cheryl and me in voting for the Colfax School District Replacement Enrichment Levy.

-Bob Lothspeich,

Colfax

Infringements

It was good to see the concerned citizens who attended Monday's meeting in Endicott regarding the current drive at the State and Federal level to curtail our rights under the Second Amendment of the Constitution. Hopefully, the information presented will galvanize people to petition their representatives in the Legislature and Congress and let them know how they feel about these proposed infringements.

It was also interesting to watch the gentleman who was surreptitiously taking photos of all the individuals attending the meeting. I guess our government figures that they have to keep track of all the "radicals" who have the nerve to actually demand that their rights be taken seriously.

Hopefully, such intimidation will not keep the people from staying involved in the political process.

-David Taylor,

Endicott