To the editor,

A very important vote is coming up in the next couple of weeks and in fact, for most of us, it is the only item on the ballot. Ballot Measure 4-177 is a renewal of the retiring operating levy for the Seaside School District that is absolutely essential to the district’s ability to continue providing a quality education for our children.

As the parent of three children who have attended Seaside schools and now graduated from the high school, I have been continually impressed with the depth of knowledge and the level of education our kids are receiving even after the storm of budget cuts the district has already had to face. I cannot imagine what will happen to our educational system if we fail to renew this commitment.

As the husband of a Seaside educator, I understand the challenges our teachers face with growing class sizes. In some cases, classes are close to 40 students in size, almost double what they were when I was in school, and they seemed nearly unmanageable back then.

By voting YES on this ballot measure, you and I will be renewing the local tax option, providing close to $1.3 million per year in operational funding for the district, which is essentially equal to 18 licensed teaching staff. It’s also important to remember that this is not increasing taxes or creating a new tax, it is simply a renewal of the currently retiring tax option.

With all of the recent discussion around raising minimum wage to help those in poverty earn a better living, I think we tend to overlook the single most important way to combat poverty: EDUCATION. I encourage everyone to join me in voting YES on Ballot Measure 4-177 and renew our support of the Seaside School District.

Darren Gooch

Warrenton