Paying for a school system that recognizes all the needs kids have
The pandemic turned the lives of countless children upside down. They are presenting to my office with debilitating depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and plans. Supporting the mental, physical, and educational health of these children is critical to their future, but it is also critical to ours as a community.
As a pediatrician to thousands in Kitsap I am privy to the complexities and nuances involved in educating children and how physical health is an aspect teachers and administrators must deal with. Those with chronic medical conditions like asthma, diabetes or severe allergies can face unforeseen challenges to consistently attend school. They need additional resources to keep up with their healthier peers. Children with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia (difficulty with reading,) dysgraphia (difficulty with writing), vision or hearing impairments, physical disability, sensory processing issues, or speech delay also need extra intervention and support to learn effectively. As a weekly volunteer in Central Kitsap schools since 2015, I have observed countless classroom teachers, counselors, learning specialists, librarians, teacher aides and other paraprofessionals provide those targeted resources to children who need them.
That's why the failure of a Central Kitsap School District levy in February has my attention. School support levies — like the one now proposed for a second time to Central Kitsap School District voters — support many of those critically important positions.
I graduated from Olympic High School in 1991. The same funding problems that plague school systems now, despite years of changes and legal challenges like the McCleary lawsuit, were with us then. That year, a lengthy teacher strike kept students out of school for a prolonged period of time. As the season approached for students to take AP tests for college credit, one brave teacher crossed the picket line, opened the school, and provided educational support for those of us who needed it. I have never forgotten his generosity. Due to his unwavering commitment three decades ago, my classmates and I not only passed our AP tests, but went on to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Students educated at CK schools have returned to this community as doctors, teachers, lawyers, engineers, counselors, accountants, school principals, journalists, electricians, plumbers, small business owners, lawmakers and much more. Some of my classmates are teachers in the CKSD today.
Recently, one of my own children was diagnosed with a progressive condition that will require school accommodation. While not life-threatening, as it worsens, my child may struggle to experience success. I contacted the support specialist at the school my child attends. Since then, the care and consideration shown to my own child in need has been second to none.
All of these educational resources that go beyond just teaching class require adequate funding. While my mom and I were recently discussing the levy issue on the April 26 ballot, she asked me how retired folks on fixed incomes could possibly afford to pay more taxes. It occurred to me that others like her might not realize that this request is merely the continuation of an existing tax. The district is proposing a two-year replacement levy at the current rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value, which renews the district’s three-year levy that expires at the end of 2022.
The Legislature allocates resources to fund “basic education” for children in Washington State, but the district has said that does not cover the comprehensive costs of operating schools today. Levies bridge the gap so districts can keep providing after-school activities, including clubs, performing arts, tutoring resources, and athletics.
Admittedly, district-level leadership at the Central Kitsap School District this year has seemed tone-deaf more often than not. In August 2021, board member Rob MacDermid apologized for offensive political Facebook posts. The district’s handling of gender and equity issues, like decisions on a “Love Has No Gender” poster and a library book from a queer perspective, have left many in our community frustrated and bewildered. But I don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. A second levy failure will not hurt the administration or the school board; the victims are the most vulnerable in the system that are really in need these days — our children.
Thomas Jefferson once said, “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.” That includes all the children in next generation, especially those that need more than just the basic services, if we're going to create leaders who serve, represent and defend the fundamental interests of a society. I can't ignore that what is at stake supports the very same teachers, learning specialists, counselors and school principals who moved heaven and earth over the last two years to ensure your children and mine could continue to learn, grow, and thrive.
Dr. Niran Al-Agba is a pediatrician in Silverdale and writes a regular column for the Kitsap Sun. Contact her at niranalagba@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Niran Al-Agba: A school system that recognizes all the needs kids have
