Local Central Kitsap residents received their ballots by mail this past week for casting their vote in support of Central Kitsap School District’s Supplemental Levy.

Now I know what you’re thinking, didn’t we just pass a levy last year? Yes, we did, a Capital Projects levy for badly needed improvements and repairs to our schools facilities and systems. Voters turned out in resounding support of that levy.

And now, because our State legislators have chosen to ignore their statutory mandate/responsibility to fully fund public education, our local school district is left holding the proverbial budget short-fall bag to the tune of some $6.3 million dollars. Adding to their dilemma/misery, Federal heavy impact aid matching dollars were also recently removed.

Read more: Vote ‘YES!’ on CK’s Supplemental Levy

As a father of four children who have all passed through the halls of Central Kitsap schools, I have become a huge fan and supporter of the CK School District, their amazing educators, administrators, and board.

We are most fortunate to have Mr. Greg Lynch at the helm, especially during such difficult and economically turbulent times as these. Both Greg and Director of Finance, David McVicker, have done an incredible job, just short of miraculous, by anticipating and planning contingencies for just such situations. In fact, CK officials have trimmed over $14.6 million dollars from their budget over the past 5 years! Unfortunately, even with all their hard work and faithful stewardship, the present short-fall is still very large and daunting.

As a result, area residents are being asked once again to rise up to the ocassion, and support our nationally award winning CK schools!

We are being asked to vote ‘YES!’ in support of a 2-year levy that will raise $3.8 million in each year. This translates t0 $0.62 per $1000 of property valuation. For a house valued at $250K, that’s about $155, or approximately $13 per month. So maybe we can go without our Starbuck’s latte once a week?

Listen, I know times are tough. The last thing we need is yet one more drain on our already over-taxed wallets. But this levy is going towards covering basic educational and operational expenses. We’re not talking about debatable fringe or elective programs. This is basic stuff, the core of what makes our schools such amazing places of learning for our kids.

So please, make a very worthwhile sacrifice and investment in our children, and ultimately in our community as a whole.

Thank you for your support!

Rich Jacobson