School funding – the right thing to do

I first met Senator Linda Evans Parlette when she was campaigning for her first term in the House of Representatives in 1996. At the time I was on the local school board and I was able to share with her our unique situation with our school facilities and lack of a property tax base to obtain funding for new school construction. She herself had served as a school board member and could readily appreciate our overwhelming obstacles.

Given the general political makeup of our local communities, I had expected that finally some politician in the Democratic Party would be the advocate to take our cause forward for funding, without which we could not have a new school. I have been in our senators’ DC offices. While their staffers patiently listened and politely acknowledged our formidable challenges, in all actuality their response was, “Here’s a quarter, call someone who cares.”

While basic education and the provision of adequate school facilities should not lie at the mercy of partisan politics, it unfortunately too often does. If one Republican state senator can accomplish so much for us, surely our Democratic senators should be willing to go forth to secure the rest of the funding for our children.

I realize this is quite an over simplification, and I wholeheartedly agree with Sue Bjorklund’s past (letter to the editor) thanking so very many people involved and dedicated over the years to take our needs forward.

I urge everyone to contact our U.S. senators and continue to ask for the remaining funds needed, as well as to thank our own state senators and representatives for what they have done for our children in approving state monies. (All of their websites are easy to navigate for those of us who have forgotten how to handwrite a letter).

Kathy Winzer

Grand Coulee