Yes on school levies

THE state falls short of its constitutional obligation to fund education and thus public schools have grown dependent on levy funding for the basics in education, such as textbooks, librarians and structurally sound buildings.

One more reason to grab those special-election ballots and check "yes" on school money measures.

In the Puget Sound region, Seattle, Bellevue, Issaquah, Federal Way, Kent, Lake Washington, Mercer Island, Northshore, Riverview, Shoreline, Tahoma, Snoqualmie Valley and Tukwila have levies on the ballot.

For most school districts, the operating levy represents 25 percent of their budgets. The capital levies pay for basic maintenance. Those are things a school cannot survive without.

A court ruling that state funding is inadequate compels the Legislature to do more. But this imbalance in funding won't disappear overnight.

Until schools are fully funded, the public should support schools by voting "yes" on school levies.