Longview Residents Give School Levies a Resounding ’Yes’
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Superintendent Suzanne Cusick is committed to providing the best education possible for her students in the Longview Public Schools system, and she has plenty of help – inside the classrooms and in the community.
Despite tough economic times shared with the rest of the nation, in March 2009 local residents overwhelmingly approved two tax levies that are key to operating the 6,800-student district’s eight elementary schools, three middle schools and two high schools, plus the Broadway Learning Center.
For Cusick, who assumed her post as superintendent in July 2008, the support is reassuring and vital to ensure the success of LPS students.
“What drew me to the job was this unique community – unique in the sense of its deep caring and commitment to children,” says Cusick, who came to Longview from Hillsboro, Ore., where she served as assistant superintendent for student improvement.
“I don’t say that lightly. This is a mill town that has had incredible struggles over the past couple of decades. And yet this community continues to give and give and give – as they showed when they passed the levies so resoundingly.”
Voters approved a Maintenance and Operations Levy, replacing one expiring in 2009, which will produce revenues of $13.48 million in 2010 and $14.15 million in 2011. Property owners pay $3.01 per $1,000 assessed property valuation for the levy. Funds are used to supplement staff expenses not met by state funds, as well as other district costs.
The Technology and Capital Projects Levy will yield $1.25 million in 2010 and $1.32 million in 2011. The rate for property owners is $.28 per $1,000 assessed property valuation. The new levy will fund repairs to the HVAC system at Mark Morris High School, updates to the fire alarm system at R.A. Long High School and security upgrades systemwide, Cusick says.
The levies are vital to the school system’s economic health, but budget cuts still were necessary, Cusick says. Her first week on the job, she had to begin cutting $2.4 million from the $70 million budget for the 2008-09 school year. For the 2009-10 school year, $5.1 million in additional cuts were necessary. A decline in enrollment of 125 is projected for the 2009-10 school year, which also impacts the budget, Cusick says.
She says she’s been grateful that, for the most part, “the school community and the greater community understand that’s what we have to do.” And even though cuts were necessary, the levies prevented even more drastic reductions, she adds.
“We’re on a very clear path instructionally,” Cusick says. “We hope, when the economy turns around, to rebuild our staff. We’re looking to the future. I’ve been reminding people I’m still going to be superintendent, and we’ll still be focusing on instruction.”
Story by Anne Gillem
