Lind-Rizville Schools to hold public forums on levies

RITZVILLE - The Lind-Ritzville Schools co-op will hold two public forums on Jan. 30 for people wanting to learn more about the levies the schools are asking for on the ballot of the Feb. 11 special election.

The first forum is at 5:30 p.m. at the Lind-Ritzville High School Commons in Ritzville. The second is at 6:30 p.m. at the Lind-Ritzville Middle School lunchroom in Lind.

As The Journal reported last week, voters will be asked to approve or reject a replacement Educational Programs and Operation Levy and a new two-year Capital Levy. Both levies are for 2021 and 2022.

While the first levy is a replacement levy for an expiring tax, the Capital Levy is new and is designed to fund specific technology. The new levy would be for $0.13 per $1,000 of property value in Ritzville, and $0.14 in Lind.

According to a flyer published by the schools, the new levy will fund Chromebook replacements for students, new teacher computers and “classroom technology,” including things like new projectors and smartboards.

LRS Superintendent Don Vanderholm said the funding will help the school’s older buildings add some of the technology available at the new high school in Ritzville.

“When we put [the high school] together, there was obviously technology that went with it,” Vanderholm said. “This building is in great shape, technology-wise. But we have needs at the grade school that we still need to [improve].”

Vanderholm said that as new technology is added, it becomes important to make sure the districts are able to keep it running.

“It’s great that we have one-on-one with our students and devices now,” Vanderholm said. “But Chromebooks, like all pieces of technology, have a life cycle. So we have to make sure we can sustain that. We have to make sure we can sustain the classroom instructional technology that we have added. And we need to sustain the security that we’ve added and all the other pieces that go with that.”

Ballots will be mailed on Jan. 24 and must be returned by Feb. 11.