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The future of our school community matters. When my family and I relocated to Sandpoint in 2014, we moved here based largely on the quality of the Lake Pend Oreille School District, this includes its people and programs. We also took into high consideration having a supportive community that believes in the education of our future. The major source of funding for school districts comes in the form of a supplemental levy. The Lake Pend Oreille School District has had a successful supplemental levy over the past 17 years because of a community that strongly believes in the education of our future. We should be very proud of the state of our schools and need to step up again to support them.

The March 14 supplemental levy replaces the expiring levy that funds one-third of all district staff providing sound class sizes, innovative instruction, and caring classrooms leading to overall student well-being. I simply cannot imagine class sizes of 40-plus students or double shifting schedules for my children or the children of our esteemed school district, however, this would be the reality.

Understand, that a home with an assessed valuation of $250,000 with homeowner’s exemption, currently pays $22/month. This replacement levy would increase by $0.50/month in 2018 and $0.50/month in 2019 — a very small price to pay when it comes to educating our future.

ERIK OLSON

Sandpoint