Pasco School District staff and students urge support for arts levy, "Vote by February 10"

The Pasco School District's arts director and several teachers urged community support for levy funding that they said pays for instruments, costumes and other arts needs, with a student speaker telling residents, "Vote by February 10."

The district arts director said the arts are more than electives, arguing they build leadership, teamwork and a sense of community: "In Pasco, the arts are more than electives. They're essential," the director said. The director added that arts participation gives students autonomy and ownership and helps them see individual value through music.

A music teacher described how performances reveal students' improvement and foster ensemble skills. "Seeing them see the beauty of their voice matching with somebody else's voice ... it's really, really magical," the teacher said, adding the ensemble motto, "1 voice, 1 pack." A drama teacher said drama offers students a safe place to "be themselves" and increases school enjoyment. Another staff member said students from Mexican cultural backgrounds get to act as "cultural ambassadors" when presenting music to audiences.

Speakers emphasized that levy dollars fund items not typically covered by regular budgets: "Levy funding is really important because we're able to buy things like equipment," the arts director said. Other staff noted the costs of costumes, lights and specialized instruments and said those items are usually out of students' reach without levy support. The speakers did not specify the levy dollar amount or the ballot language.

A student speaker closed the remarks by urging turnout: "Vote by February 10." The remarks in the session were appeals to the community and did not constitute a formal board action recorded in the discussion.

Next step: speakers encouraged residents to vote before the February 10 deadline mentioned during the remarks.