I would like to express my appreciation to the nearly 12,000 voters who showed up for the students of Battle Ground this month. You waved signs for us, you stood up for us, and you cast your ballots for us.

 

Despite everything we gave, Battle Ground Public Schools now faces the reality of a double-levy failure. With an approximate gap of 500 votes, our goal, though fought for with heart, remains out of reach.

 

Extracurricular and highly–capable opportunities will be erased, beloved staff members will be cut, and students are outraged. Special education support and support services for low-income residents will be scaled back massively, leaving vulnerable families in even more of a precarious situation.

 

Now, we are facing the consequences. Programs that inspired us, counselors who

supported us, and educators who uplifted us — all stand to be reduced or completely deleted. These are not luxuries. They are lifelines. They are the difference between students who thrive and students who are merely trying to survive an already struggling system. A system that will now be starved.

 

Districts like Evergreen and Ridgefield are moving forward with adequate staffing, smaller class sizes, and superior programs. We are not — and we as students will feel that every day. We will fall behind while our neighbors excel and it will take years to catch up, even after the passage of another levy.

 

Even with everything stacked against us, this is not the end — this is a turning point. We, the students, are still here. We are still learning. We are still dreaming. And we are still fighting. Consider us, listen to us, and know that we will never give up. We are the future, your future, and we deserve the opportunity to not only succeed but to excel.

 

With a heavy heart,

Rye Dilley

A student who still believes in better.