Teachers, school district integral to our community

I am writing to express how appalled and disappointed I am by the Roses and other opponents of the school district’s supplemental levy. I am a widow living off of a paltry Social Security check and a bit of rental income, and I’m also a homeowner. Opponents of the levy seem to think they speak for my demographic, when in fact they do not. Let’s explore how the failure of this levy will affect not only our children, but our local economy.

If the levy fails, outstanding rural schools such as Hope, Northside, Southside and Clark Fork will close, schools which have received numerous scholastic accolades at the local, state, and national level. Students will be bused from those areas and crammed into already overflowing classrooms in the Sandpoint area. Students at all schools will not receive the one-to-one time they require (and that educational laws require), and their learning will suffer.

Looking at the economic impact on Bonner County, the loss of a third of the staff of the largest employer in the immediate area would be detrimental. The Roses and their cohorts seem to forget that LPOSD employees also pay property taxes, shop at the local stores, and eat at the local restaurants. They are an integral part of the community. If they have to sell their homes and move in order to find a job, the trickle-down effect would impact us all, including me. You see, I couldn’t afford to pay the mortgage on my house after my husband died until I rented some rooms upstairs to a local schoolteacher.

Prior to meeting her, I was not a fan of teachers, thinking them entitled and rather lazy, what with all their vacation time and seemingly large salaries. I couldn’t have been more wrong. This woman dedicates herself to her students above and beyond what is dictated by her contract. She leaves for work before 7 a.m., gets home after 4 p.m., helps around the house and then spends another two to three hours an evening helping students via email, planning, and grading. Her “vacation time” and “summers off” are spent refining curriculum, going to conferences, taking classes, and buying supplies for the next school year, all on her own dime. She is not the outlier; she’s the norm for her profession. If business owners had employees with her work ethic, they’d be handing out bonuses and raises. Instead, I see local and national media vilifying people like her, people who have dedicated their lives to building the next generation.

The sad reality is that if the levy fails, she will lose her job as she only has four years in this district (though 16 years of experience), and she works at a rural school. She will have to move, leaving me without a supplemental income and a dear friend. If the levy doesn’t pass, it will affect everyone. I hope detractors like the Roses can see past their own selfish agendas to realize it’s not about them.

Please vote yes on March 14.

KAREN CLEVELAND

Sandpoint