I want to urge my neighbors living in Capitol Hill and the Central Area to make their FIRST vote of this election a YES vote on Prop 1, the Seattle School Levy.  The levy is located on the back of your ballot, at the very bottom.

With all the hype around higher profile races this election year, little attention has been given to this critical school levy.  As a result, the plight of public schools, and the kids who attend them, has gone completely unnoticed.

The state has cut $32 million from our schools over the past two years, and more cuts are coming.  The Seattle School Levy will offset just some of these cuts and reduce the impact of future cuts to education.

Our schools desperately need this support, but they won’t get it unless we come together as a community and pass this crucial measure.

The School Levy will directly benefit schools and will be used to:

• Purchase textbooks and basic classroom materials for elementary music, middle school language arts, and high school social studies and science;
• Support teachers in the classroom with increased collaboration time, career ladders, and an updated teacher evaluation process;
• Reduce the number and severity of cuts to educational programs and services.

The owner of a $400,000 home will pay about $48 per year for the next three years to support our schools – a small price to pay at a time when our kids need us most.

Please put KIDS FIRST this November.  Vote YES on the Seattle School Levy, located at the end of your ballot!

 Barbara Kelley

Stevens Elementary Parent