On April 13, seven Centralia High School (CHS) students gathered in their school to present their reasoning as to why voters should vote “yes” on the school district’s levy in the April 25 special election.
The senior leading the panel, Peyton Smith, began the night by explaining the various extracurriculars the current levy funds, including sports, choir, band, clubs and more. Smith said each of these activities promotes positive behavior inside and outside of the classroom. They encourage students to attend school and help them develop important life skills. In addition, the levy also supports technology, staffing and school safety.
After a slideshow, each student shared their personal statements as to why they want the replacement levy to be approved by voters.
Mackenzie Erickson, a freshman at CHS, expressed the importance of levy-funded sports.
“For some kids, sports is the only thing keeping them in school and making sure their grades stay good. If you take that away, they lose their motivation,” she said.
Erickson plays volleyball, basketball and softball. Centralia is her hometown and she wants to continue representing the school through these sports. Erickson wants to graduate as a Tiger, but if the levy fails, she may have to attend another school to continue her athletic journey.
Chloe-Marie Bonomi, a sophomore, added: “I’ve made lifelong friendships and memories with some of the best friends that I have, in the classroom and on the field.”
Bonomi said she has developed influential bonds with some of the staff at her school. Without the funds from the levy to support staffing and sports, the students’ relationships and athletic opportunities will be in question.
Sports aren’t the only thing that would falter without funding.
Elizabeth Orellana Gutierrez, representing the junior class, is a member of the symphonic choir. Recently, the choir won superior ratings in regionals. They will now be able to compete at state level in Ellensburg. Of course, with this opportunity comes expenses, such as transportation, food, hotel rooms and more costs that the levy helps fund.
“These competitions are super important to us as they bring us closer together and they provide lots of great memories and experiences. We don’t want to be worrying about whether or not we can afford to send everyone to state. We just want to worry about having fun and winning,” Gutierrez said.
Madison Buchanan, a CHS senior, can relate to Gutierrez’s plea for funding the arts. A member of the band since fifth grade, Buchanan said playing has been a source of daily joy for her.
“Our band program has dwindled down from a sizable 100 students to half of that, and if the levy is passed, we can rebuild and progress as a team,” Buchanan said.
Buchanan also said that, like the choir, they have achieved success in their band competitions. Passage of the replacement levy will ensure that this trend will continue so band members can reach their highest potential.
Overall, each member of the panel could attest for the students of Centralia as a whole when they said passage of the replacement levy is vital for their future. Of course, students have heard several counterclaims against voting for the levy. Some residents disagree with the curriculum being taught or the activities the school is choosing to fund. These factors are out of the student body's control. What is in their control, however, is the way they choose to spend their time. As the students in the meeting reiterated, the extracurriculars they have participated in have helped them develop skills they will use for the rest of their lives.
Money provided by the levy will fund Centralia High School students' success.
