Our Voice: School levies need support, so get those ballots in soon

It appears the Tri-Cities is full of procrastinators.

At least, we hope that’s the case. It would be terrible if election officials don’t see a sudden surge in ballot returns over the next few days.

Several school levy measures are riding on a supportive outcome in Tuesday’s election, but so far only a small percentage of ballots have been returned in both Benton and Franklin counties.

It’s a poor showing so far, but we hope the looming deadline will prompt people to get busy and vote.

In general, we support school levies because quality schools are important to the community and, unfortunately, local tax money is needed to fill the gap left by inadequate state funding. The Washington state constitution says it is the “paramount” duty of the state to make “ample provision” for the education of all the state’s children, but that has not happened for years.

The state Legislature is trying to remedy this, but it is nowhere close to finding a solution this session. That means, in the meantime, school officials must ask voters in their districts to pitch in financially.

It is important to note that these school levy requests are a replacement and not a new tax. This time around, school officials in Richland and Kennewick are asking for school levies that keep the same tax rate currently being paid by property owners. In Pasco, the school levy request is a penny below what voters approved in 2014.

All three requests are completely reasonable and deserve a “yes” vote.

When people think about programs that school levies support, athletics, music art and drama often come to mind. These worthwhile activities, however, are only a portion of what school levy money covers.

School nurses, security personnel, librarians, textbooks, technology programs, professional training for teachers and instructional materials are all supported by school levies. These aren’t extras that can be easily cut from school budgets. They are essentials needed to provide a safe and up-to-date education for our students.

Another reason to support the local tax request is that school districts receive equalization money from the state when communities approve school levies. This system was created as a way to balance the finances of poor districts with wealthier ones so every child in the state could have an equal opportunity at a quality education. The amount varies from district to district, but it is significant and helps pay for a range of services.

But that money is lost if a levy fails.

In addition to the larger Tri-City school districts, there are many other smaller districts in the region that are running school levy elections with ballots due Tuesday. They include Finley, Kiona-Benton City, North Franklin, Kahlotus, Washtucna and Paterson schools.

Voters in these outlying areas also need to get their ballots in as soon as possible.

There are always some people who vote against every tax issue during every election, so it is important those who support the schools get their ballots turned in. They should be postmarked or deposited at a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. Tuesday.

This story was originally published February 4, 2016 at 5:27 PM with the headline "Our Voice: School levies need support, so get those ballots in soon."