The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

To The Eagle:

The Naselle-Grays River Valley School District board of Directors recently authorized the placement of a three-year Maintenance and Operations (M&O) Levy on the February 10th ballot.

This levy, which is a renewal of the existing tax, asks voters for a collection of $715,000 per year at an approximate rate of $3.05 per $1,000 of assessed valuation to help fund existing school programs and district operations. The current levy expires in 2015, and compares at a rate of $3.06 per $1,000.

Naselle-Grays River has had a long history of support from its voters for school levies, allowing us to deliver a quality education to our students. As Superintendent and a Naselle High School graduate, I am very proud of this tradition and grateful to be a part of the educational family at Naselle-Grays River Valley.

Ninety-six percent of schools in Washington run M&O levies to help close the gap that exists between what is received in state and federal revenues, and what the district actually needs to run its programs. In the world of school finance, the terms ‘levy’ and ‘bond’ are frequently overused and often interchanged. I want to clarify that the upcoming vote is for a replacement levy to help operate and fund existing programs; it is not for a building bond. Conceptually, one should think in terms of Bonds are for Buildings and Levies are for Learning.

Ballots will be arriving in the U.S. mail late this week. Should you have any questions, I encourage you to contact me at 360-484-7121.

Lisa Nelson, Superintendent

Naselle-Grays River Valley School District