VOTER INTERESTS PROJECT: Argument against the Stanwood-Camano School District Levy

The Island and Snohomish County Election Departments mailed ballots to voters in the Stanwood-Camano School District this week. The district is asking voters to approve a Replacement Capital Projects and Technology Levy. Voters rejected the levy in the February special election; the school board submitted the same levy, without changes, for the April special election. The levy is the only issue on the ballot in Island County. Ballots are due on April 26.

To aid you in deciding how to vote on the levy, we present below the Argument Against the measure followed by the Rebuttal of Argument Against, as included in the online voters guide. The Argument For and Rebuttal of Argument For can be found in this post.

The Voter Interests Project does not take a position on ballot measures.

Argument Against

Voters should reject the Replacement Technology Capital Projects Levy.

First, voters should not bear the responsibility for the district’s over-expenditures. We understand the state determines funding categories, and the district may not legally supplement one category from another. However, the district does have power to organize its budget within those constraints, and it is reasonable to expect the district to set the example for its students by spending within its budget.

Secondly, while facilities are a worthwhile investment, the second part of the levy is concerning: more technology does not necessarily equate to better education. We support students’ technological literacy, but the over-reliance on tech in the classroom has consequences the district has not addressed. Without knowing what technology the district intends to purchase, its educational justification, and the benefits and drawbacks, voters should not support such spending.

Finally, the language of the resolution reflects the district’s historic lack of transparency. Financial reports are buried in board meeting agenda links; the budget fails to list the levy’s intended projects; and the district has yet to make readily available a detailed accounting of money levied between 2018 and 2022. It is impossible to determine whether it is in the community’s interest to fund the “modernization of technology systems,” “acquiring hardware,” or “other capital expenditures…as determined by the Board of Directors,” when those purchases are not specified.

Until the district responsibly, justifiably, and transparently accounts for its funding, voters should reject the district’s proposed levy.

Stacey Birk

Rebuttal of Argument Against

The Stanwood-Camano School District is subject to annual audits by the state, which has found no issues with the district’s annual budget or expenditures. There is no overspending, by law. Budgets are available for inspection on the district website at stanwood.wednet.edu/levy.  The use of technology is vital to support learning at every grade level to prepare students for their future in the modern world. Vote Yes to keep our community’s students moving forward.

James McCafferty