Year-after-year, Bellevue schools provide an excellent education for our children. The high schools routinely are ranked among the top 100 in the nation. The district has more nationally certified “master teachers” than any school district in the state.

To maintain these achievements, vote “yes” on the district’s two levy issues on the Feb. 9 ballot.

The district isn’t asking for anything new. The operating levy, representing 21 percent of the district’s day-to-day funds, expires this year. The levy merely continues to provide these critically needed funds for the classroom.

The second levy – for technology and capital projects – provides the needed money for periodic upgrades of computers and other classroom technology, large maintenance projects (for example, roof repairs or replacements), and sports field upgrades or replacements. The levy on the ballot replaces one that will expire next year.

Despite what many think, the state does not provide enough money to educate our children. The funds raised locally help buy textbooks, provide extracurricular activities, and give our middle and high school students needed elective courses in areas such as the arts, technology, business, vocational, science and math, or music. The local money also is needed to provide gifted and special education programs, and even for such routine needs as utilities and fuel.

The district knows that times are tight and it has done its part, cutting $10 million alone from its budget in the past two years. A levy loss now would be a disaster for our children.

Bellevue is a great place to live. One of the reasons is its schools. That’s why Realtors support these two levies. They know that good schools attract good people, which in turn makes for a strong and prosperous community.

What will these two levies cost you? The owner of a home assessed at $600,000 paid $1,140 in 2009. But housing values have dropped and the state likely will limit how much of the local funds the district can collect. That means that same home, even gaining in assessed value, will cost the owner only $179 more by 2014.

Vote “yes” on the levies and our top-quality schools can continue to do what we expect of them – provide an excellent education for our children and add value to our community.

– Craig Groshart, for The Bellevue Reporter