Local residents urge Battle Ground board to run February operating levy, many back Option B

Several community members asked the Battle Ground School District board on Nov. 10 to place an operating levy on the February ballot, saying state funding does not fully cover local needs and a levy is required to maintain current services.

Marshall Merritt told the board he supports running an operating levy in February and prefers “plan B,” saying levy funds are “critical to positions and programs in our schools” such as classroom aides, counselors, nurses and transportation. Lori Sibley, who said she had attended a recent levy workshop, urged the board to pick Option B as well and called the levy “about protecting what we already have.”

Mary Koehler, representing the Battle Ground Education Association, said the association’s roughly 800 educators “support the levy in February” to sustain programs and staffing. Speakers emphasized that recent years’ cuts have been large — Sibley cited district reductions of about $14.8 million this year and said future shortfalls could be larger — and that levies translate to classroom and student services.

What the board heard: Citizens framed the levy as necessary to prevent program reductions and maintain staffing levels the community values. The speakers asked the board to move forward with the levy timeline discussed in earlier workshops and reiterated support for Option B.

Next steps: The board heard these comments during the citizens’ comment period; no formal vote on placing the levy on the ballot occurred that night. Staff and board previously discussed levy options in a workshop; the board has authority to finalize placement and amounts at a future business meeting.