Tuesday, January 13, 2009

SKSD LEVY DESERVES YOUR "YES" for KIDS!

Why support the levy?

In 1999, SKHS’s graduation rate was less than 77%. Today it is more than 92%. What does that mean to our community? It means that 15 more students out of every 100 are graduating from high school than were doing so when our levy funding wasn’t stable. WOW!

In 2001, average SKSD 10th grade WASL scores were 58.4% in reading, 37.2% in math, and 48.5% in writing. In 2008, those averages were 84.1% in reading, 53.4% in math, and 87.9% in writing. These strong gains were possible because levy funds provide opportunities for improved curriculum adoptions, technology that facilitates differentiated instruction for students, and extended learning opportunities (amongst other things)!

Eight years ago, SKSD had one of the oldest fleet of school busses in the state. Many were past their depreciation point which made the district ineligible for state funds to replace busses. Thanks to stable levy funding for the past 8 years, we have been able to improve the fleet and are now eligible for state funds that allow us to regularly replace aging busses.

Eight years ago, our secondary music program was nearly non-existant. Extra-curricular programs like athletics, band, and theatre, were stripped to the bare bones. Thanks to stable levy funding, these programs have flourished and infused a sense of belonging, leadership skills, and creativity into our students. These programs have also helped kids stay motivated to stay in school.
As an example of the forward progress, on New Years Day 2010, the SKHS Band has been extended a rather exclusive honor to perform in the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena. Our choirs and bands are winning awards across the state and across the nation these days. Students take pride in marching with the SKHS Band and singing with the choirs.

Strong academics and challenging extra-curricular programs are building leaders in our schools. In fact, in 2008, TWO of our students were accepted into the United States Naval Academy.

Yes, levy funding is making a difference in the lives of South Kitsap students, the quality of their education, and the strength of our South Kitsap Community!

Please vote YES for the levy!

Regards,
Kathryn Simpson

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