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Voters within the Centralia School District face a difficult decision during this election. During COVID, many have been financially impacted as the world around us seems to be shut down. Yet, that does not mean the world around us stops. The students of the Centralia School District need your vote.
I have had the opportunity to speak to many people (citizens, teachers, administrators, employees, coaches and students) about this ballot measure. As a result, I have heard a wide variety of concerns. Some blame school administration, the school board, teachers or the cost of the proposed levy for the reason they voted no previously. I am not here to address the reason people voted no. Rather, I want to talk about why you should vote yes.
Sure, a vote of no will impact school administrators, the school board, teachers and other school district employees. Some voted no to send a message to those groups as to their disapproval of the way money is being handled within the district. Certainly, we will not all agree on how money is spent.
But those impacted most by a no vote are not the administrators, teachers, employees or coaches. A no vote tells our children we do not believe in them; we do not believe in their potential; we do not value their future. There is room for each of us to disagree about the issues, but we cannot let that disagreement impact our children.
If I were to ask you if you want a better future for Centralia, for your children, there is not a single person that would say no. We all want a better community. We all want the next generation, our children and those around us to succeed. A vote against the levy puts an artificial lid on their abilities and their future. Why would we do that?
The future of Centralia is bright. We have a new superintendent who cares about more than building new schools. She cares about the people in those schools. The people working in and for the schools care about the kids in the classrooms, and hallways. The coaches (who have all agreed to work for free) understand the importance of reaching the hearts and minds of kids to ensure they have every opportunity to learn inside and outside of the classroom.
It is OK if you disagree with how the money is spent, or even the amount of money spent. If that is the case, go to the school board meeting and speak your mind. Volunteer in the schools. Let your voice be heard during the school board elections, but not during a vote for the levy. The levy vote is our chance to tell the children of our community that we are here, we have their backs, we believe in them and we will do everything we can to ensure their future is bright.
Jonathan Meyer
Centralia
