Letter: ‘I urge you to continue to support our students and programs in the Battle Ground Public Schools’

Yacolt resident Ryan Cowl offers his support for the Battle Ground Public Schools levy

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com

I am writing this letter in support of the upcoming levy in the Battle Ground Public Schools. I have been a student, parent, educator and community member in this district for many years. I always appreciated the time, attention and support my teachers, administrators and school personnel gave me throughout my education years as a student. 

I went into the education field because of a strong desire to help students succeed in school and life. It is awesome to be able to develop strong connections with students and help them achieve their goals.

I am thankful that students are back to school in-person. Students along with their parents appreciate having a routine, a teacher they can see every day to support and guide their learning and friends they can socialize with and make connections. This is an essential part of the educational process.

As we approach the upcoming levy election there are some important points I want to emphasize as you cast your vote:

• This is a replacement levy and not a new tax. The current levy is set to expire Dec. 31, 2021.

• The projected tax rate is $1.99 per 1,000 assessed property value over the next four years (2022-2025). This is a decrease of the current tax value of $2.32.

• The current bond that the district passed in 2005 will expire in December of 2023 lowering the tax rate even more.

• Battle Ground Public Schools has the lowest property tax rate of all K-12 districts in Clark County.

• The levy will allow the district to maintain critical student programs and activities not fully funded by the state and to maintain facilities.

• The levy supports many important positions such as nurses, counselors, psychologists, security staff, assistant principals and teaching assistants.

If you have additional questions I encourage district citizens to check out the Battle Ground Public School website: https://www.battlegroundps.org/levy

Ballots will be coming out on Fri., Oct. 15 and must be postmarked and mailed no later than Tue., Nov. 2, 2021. I urge you to continue to support our students and programs in the Battle Ground Public Schools by voting yes by Nov. 2. Thank you.

Ryan Cowl
Yacolt