Thank you to the community for the tremendous support to our educational system.

Our students deserve the same opportunities as students in other communities. My children received many opportunities for an outstanding education in LPOSD. Excellent teachers and coaches challenged them to become their best selves. Their experiences were made possible by the support of supplemental levies. The levy is necessary to provide these opportunities for future students. Supporting education is the right thing to do.

Activities, clubs, band, choir, and athletics are not “extra,” but co-curricular. They represent the side of education where students choose activities of interest to learn, excel, and make a difference in our community. These co-curricular options are motivational and teach skills such as teamwork, leadership, and decision making. These skills are essential for the job market of tomorrow. Therefore supporting co-curricular activities is the right thing to do.

Committed to doing the right thing, LPOSD has been very successful. With the outstanding work of teachers and students, LPOSD has successfully raised reading and math scores to 95 percent proficiency. A-plus audits reflect financial responsibility. Necessary cuts have shown excellent stewardship of the public dollars. LPOSD has been progressive in creating programs based on the needs of our community including support for rural schools even though state funding has been inadequate.

I am a taxpayer who is happy to vote “yes” for the replacement levy because it is the right thing to do.

DOUG OLIN

Sandpoint