The lively classes, talkative peers and seasoned teachers I have lived for in high school have suddenly morphed into half-empty classes, disconnected students, and not a single person knowing what tomorrow holds. COVID, a divisive presidential election, and “treemagedon” have captured my days instead of the rites of passage my 12-year-old self looked forward to — Senior Start, prom, graduation. Senioritis has hit tenfold as human interaction has been replaced with never-ending Zoom meetings.

Yet as I look to the end of my high school career, I feel the need to articulate my gratitude for my education and the future I have been prepared for — and the importance of making sure these opportunities are still there, and even better, for the students who follow.

Walking into the blue and white hallowed halls of CHS as a 4-foot-11 freshman, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. My counselors put up with my endless questions and helped me jump through impossible scheduling and college hoops.

My principal genuinely cared about my and other students’ well-being, attempting to place as many names to faces as possible. My teachers slowly removed my middle school crutch — constantly craving validation — preparing me to think for myself instead of surveying textbooks for their opinions; some have stopped me in the hallway when I look unhappy, asking if there is anything wrong and others continue to put a smile on my face with their odd jokes. CHS has gifted me with the feeling of belonging and the power of knowledge.

Coeur d’Alene Public Schools — shoutout to Sorensen, Hayden Meadows and CHS — have provided me with the essential skills I need. For those of you who don’t know, Idaho ranks second to last in the nation for per-student spending for schools, and the levy that voters will consider on March 9 funds one fourth of our total budget.

There is no mistaking that the resources the levy has provided have been essential to me and to my peers. Sports, arts, drama, security, school resource officers, mental health resources, family support, training for staff, staff recruitment, classroom supplies, skilled trades, clubs, school buses, maintenance and additional technology are all funded by the levy. Without the levy, some schools would even lose their school nurse.

Every student is afforded a Chromebook in part because of the levy. The school resource officers (SRO’s) once gave me a ticket but have also always managed to brighten my day by the smallest gestures — remembering my name and those of so many students in a sea of 1,300 other people. The levy is not a new tax, it is only a RENEWAL of a tax passed every year since 1986. We have near the lowest levy per student of any large school district in Idaho. As students, all of these resources are critical for our future.

Some wish to vote against the levy because they believe our schools are not meeting their high standards. I have attended a total of 11 different schools and it feels like I’ve experienced almost every kind of education there is: urban and rural, rich and poor, East Coast and Mountain State, challenging and not.

My biggest takeaway from my frequent school switches is that a perfect education is nothing more than an illusion. Every school has its vices: some have low expectations and fail to give students the skills they need; and some are too intense, ripping away creativity by the minute. Some are too affluent, lacking an imperative down-to-earth quality, and some are too poor, lacking resources for essentials. We cannot refuse to put our support in schools just because they are imperfect.

Others may want to vote against the levy because they are unhappy about how this school year has played out. No one needs to explain to me that school has been a mess this year. Nonetheless, if you look past the shortcomings, you will see a compilation of hardworking people: counselors, teachers, principals, all individuals who are trying their best in such an uncertain world to inspire the next generation of youth. Our school district has fought hard to keep schools open when the majority of students across the country have sat home.

Our education system can and NEEDS to be mended and reformed — I know I have ideas about this and many of you do as well — but voting against the levy does not solve the issues that need to be addressed; it only amplifies them. The last time voters declined to approve the district's levy request was in 1984, well before Lake City High School was built. Back then, the school district had so little funding to ease school crowding that, for several years, half of high school students attended school from 6 a.m. to noon and the other half noon to 6 p.m. These students lost their rights to a decent public education, something most of us take for granted. We need to renew the levy and advocate for how to better allocate the money in our schools for lasting change.

If you take nothing else from this piece, please know this: I am a student and I have no political agenda; all I ask is that you realize the weight of your vote and what it means for this town. The world is a messy place, and for some, school is the only constant. Please, take it from someone who thought she had the world figured out in eighth grade: school is transformational and indispensable, as it has made me into a better thinker and even human being in the last four years.

This is not a vote about tax laws, this is a vote about whether or not you are willing to invest in our kids. One dollar and 46 cents for every thousand your house is valued at is worth it for a brighter future for our children.

As we have seen through the presidential election, every single vote counts. Whether you are conservative or liberal, whether you have children or not, whether you have even heard of the levy or not, I implore you to vote YES, vote YES for the future of our community.

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Lilian Smith is a senior at Coeur d’Alene High School.