Strong school support given in Carbonado

Published 3:50 pm Thursday, April 30, 2009

By Brenda Sexton, The Courier-Herald

The Carbonado Historical School District kept its streak of successfully passed levies and bonds alive last week when voters in the tiny community gave overwhelming support for a four-year maintenance and operation levy that will keep the kindergarten through eighth grade school humming at its current level.

Carbonado voters gave the district the thumbs up on a $1.7 million maintenance and operation levy with a 66.11 percent "yes" vote. As of Thursday afternoon 180 residents had voted.

The four-year levy replaces a 2002 voter-approved levy that expires at the end of this year. The levy money provides about 22 percent of the district's budget. Primarily, it pays to keep class sizes small and provides student learning materials, supplies, books, instruction technology materials, computer equipment, field trips, music programs, sports, transportation, maintenance and upkeep for the district's approximately 180 students.

The levy will bring collections of about $411,000 a year, or $4.97 per $1,000 assessed valuation for district property owners, beginning in 2005 and running through 2008.

The Carbonado Historical School District is legendary for the support the community gives it. The district, in its 126 years, has never defeated a maintenance and operation levy. Getting citizens to turn out and vote positively has not been a problem, even when in recent years it's been strictly a "mail-in vote."

This year's vote, although generous, was not as strong as the 2002 numbers when the maintenance and operation levy passed with 75.14 percent approval.

Brenda Sexton can be reached at bsexton@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald