Lake Stevens School District Levy
The Thursday evening social program December 19th was an update on the Foundation for Excellence and the Lake Stevens School District Levies which will be voted on Tuesday, February 11th. Our guest speakers were Dr. Amy Beth Cook, Superintendent of the Lake Stevens School District, Robb Stanton, Executive Director of Operations and Technology Services for the school district, Jayme Taylor the Director of Communications for the school district and Leslie Elsemore, Citizens for Lake Stevens Schools.
Foundation for Excellence 2013-2016: The Mission of the School District is for the students to be a contributing member of society and lifelong learners, pursuing their passions and interests in an ever-changing world. To achieve this mission statement, the School District Board held 19 focus groups to develop the plan involving over 250 parents, students, community members and staff. After the focus groups' work, advisory committees were formed and strategies and measures of success were created to meet each of the respective goals. There are many characteristics involved in the District Goals and Strategies that involve Excellence in Teaching & Learning; Technology Empowerment; Thoughtful Transitions and an Engaged Community.
Lake Stevens School District: The proposed Maintenance and Operations Levy and the Technology Levy are a replacement of the current levies, which expire in 2014. It is not a new tax.
The Maintenance and Operations Levy are spent for classroom support, regular ongoing maintenance of the facilities, student transportation, student athletics and activities, the pool and community education. Voters in 2010 approved a replacement levy at an estimated cost of $3.58 per $1,000 assessed valuation. The new replacement levy for maintenance and operations will remain at $3.60 per $1,000 assessed value. Typically, the rate fluctuates by a few cents up or down during the course of the four year levy. The goal is to have the cost per thousand go down in years two through four.
The Technology Levy is used for technology devices for students for daily classroom use, infrastructure maintenance, professional learning and technology support and the purchase of new technologies.
A little introduction to our speakers and their backgrounds. Dr. Amy Beth Cook is in her third year as the Superintendent of the Lake Stevens School District. Her career in education includes service as a speech language pathologist, a teacher, principal and Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources. All of her 31 years of service have been with the Lake Stevens School District which is very unique. Robb Stanton is the Executive Director of Operations and Technology Services for the school district. Robb oversees the Operations Department which includes custodial, maintenance & grounds and transportation as well as the district's technology. He has been with the school district for 11 years. Jayme Taylor is the Director of Communications overseeing publications, outreach and engagement, community services, the swimming pool, faculty use and media relations. She is completing her first year on staff of the District.
For more information on the School Levy, contact members of the Citizens for Lake Stevens Schools who are dedicated to passing the current levies. Leslie Elsemore was our guest pushing for passage of the two replacement levies when they come up for a vote on February 11th. Voter turn-out is always a concern for these levies. A certain percentage of the registered electorate has to turn in ballots in order for the levies to be decided upon. So get out and vote for the continued strength of the Lake Stevens School District.