The failure of the Centralia School District’s levy in February with a nearly 70 percent “no” vote was a crushing and resounding defeat for the district.
However, under new leadership from Superintendent Lisa Grant the district rebounded, clarified its message and made a good point — Centralia students deserve a chance to keep up with their peers.
The district’s second attempt on the Aug. 4 primary has been a nail-biter from the start, only separated by a handful of votes from election night through the past few weeks as thousands of ballots turned in at the last minute were counted.
In the end, this effort yielded a much narrower margin, though for that reason we imagine it will be no less disappointing for levy supporters.
The final tally, certified Tuesday by the Lewis County Canvassing Board, shows the district’s request for a rate of $2 per $1,000 of assessed value failing by just 62 votes, all of which were cast by Thurston County residents living within the boundaries of the Centralia School District.
In Lewis County, voters were split, exactly, with 3,941 in favor and 3,941 against. What are the odds that such a contentious and hard-fought effort — both by those for and against the levy — could end up split so evenly among Lewis County residents?
Alone, the 50/50 split would still be a loss for the levy, which requires a 50 percent plus one vote majority, but the levy’s fate was sealed by the additional 176 Thurston County voters living in the Centralia School District, 67 percent of whom opposed the levy.
When the state Legislature recently reorganized the way it funds basic education in the state — after losing a lawsuit and being held in contempt of court — school districts like Centralia’s got an increase in state funding, but found their ability to collect local tax money through levies was diminished.
Levies pay for what the state doesn’t consider to be basic education. That can range from sports to after-school activities, electives, transportation, extra technology and other programs.
The Centralia School District will have $4.7 million less than it hoped to provide those services this year.
We sincerely hope Centralia students do not take this as a personal blow, and we hope it doesn’t cause them to lose ground on their plans for the future. We also hope it doesn’t initiate an exodus of students from the district, which would only make its financial problems worse, as the state funds schools per student.
But this doesn’t just affect current Centralia students. This affects Centralia as a whole. When businesses look for new areas to expand, they look for communities with good schools and opportunities for families, because that makes it easier for them to recruit quality hires.
When families buy a house, what’s the first question they ask? They ask about the school district it’s in.
When businesses expand elsewhere, and houses don’t get sold, communities stagnate.
If you voted no because you sincerely felt you couldn’t afford the extra tax, we understand. Many in our community are worried about money right now.
But if you voted no because you don’t have kids, or because sports seasons have been delayed due to COVID-19, or because you think schools have all the money they need, you’ve made a short-sighted decision.
There is hope. Centralia coaches have already volunteered to coach without pay next year if the levy failed. The Centralia Foundation was created to boost local schools, and the City of Centralia this month agreed to partner with United Way and the Boys and Girls Club to put an Early Learning Center on its property on Pearl Street.
Private money will have to sustain programs for children and families if public money can’t. Centralia will only grow if we feed it. Without our support, it will wither.
