If you’re planning to vote no on the Onalaska school levy because you’re tired of higher taxes, I understand and I hope you will read this all the way through.
I have lived in my home for 20 years; a home my fiancé and I built to raise our children. After he passed away in 2009, I raised our kids here alone. It has not been easy. There was a time when I nearly lost our house because I could no longer afford it. Today, I work two jobs to support my family. I don’t support raising taxes lightly, but an educational levy is not like other taxes.
School levy funding goes directly to students. When levy funding is lost, students are directly affected. The state does not fully fund public education.
Onalaska’s total revenue and spending per student are already below the state median. That means our schools already operate with fewer resources than many districts across Washington. Even so, this community has worked hard to maintain quality education. Levy funding has made that possible.
My youngest is now a senior at Onalaska High School. Soon, my family will no longer feel the immediate impact of a failed levy, but we will absolutely feel the long-term consequences. Schools are the backbone of communities like ours. Strong schools do more than educate children; they keep our community intact.
Well-supported schools help maintain property values, attract good families who invest locally, and reduce long-term social costs tied to lower graduation and opportunity rates.
Over the years, I’ve watched good families leave for those better opportunities elsewhere. I believe in improving a community from within, but I understand why people go. I won’t pretend the district is perfect. I am often frustrated with the adults who run the school, and I agree there is work to be done. But failing a levy does not create accountability. It removes resources. Less funding has never led to better outcomes. It only means fewer programs, fewer supports and fewer reasons for families to stay.
Failing this levy would not improve leadership or outcomes. It would only shrink opportunities and make it harder for families to stay and thrive.
This is not a new tax. It replaces a measure that expired at the end of 2025. For my household, it will cost at most $475 a year — about $40 a month. That is not an insignificant amount to me, but it represents an increase of only about $3.50 a month from prior years. Less than the cost of many everyday, nonessential expenses. I will gladly make room in my budget because the cost of failure is far higher.
This vote isn’t just about schools; it is about the future of our community.
The cost of voting no will last far longer than the cost of voting yes.
Dominique Damian
Onalaska
