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Levy supporters campaign to clear up 'misinformation' about school funding By Amber Fossen Ashland Daily Tidings With the election less than a month away, Youth Activities Levy supporters in Ashland are vying for local voters' support. Levy supporters have attended more than 30 community meetings over the last several weeks to explain what the levy funds in the Ashland School District. Levy campaigners say they hope to squash misconceptions about the levy and help voters make an informed decision - for the sake of ASD students' well-rounded education. With the May 20 election around the bend, voters will face the choice of approving or denying the levy which stands at $1.38 per $1,000 of assessed property value, bringing the Ashland School District an estimated $1.7 million per year for a variety of activities. The election is a double-majority election requiring at least a 50 percent voter turnout for the levy's passage. Ashland School Board Vice-chair Amy Amrhein, a levy campaign volunteer, said a key goal in talking to voters is to clear up misinformation about the levy - like what exactly it funds. "When it started out it was for sports and activities but it has evolved over the years to be so much more," Amrhein said. The activities levy was first approved by voters in 1994 and again in 1997 and 2000. The levy was created in response to the passage of voter-approved Measure 5, which depleted funding for schools. Amrhein explained the levy provided more than $670,000 to programs at Ashland High School for the 2002-03 school year. Those funds helped support programs like Natural Helpers, leadership classes, orchestra, choir, Brain Bowl, club sports, the school yearbook, Model United Nations, drama and athletics, among others. At the middle school, more than $250,000 in levy funds went toward foreign language classes, band, orchestra, athletics, outdoor education, Brain Bowl and more. And at the elementary school level, more than $430,000 of the levy covered general music and physical education this year. Without the levy, Amrhein said the future of these programs would be uncertain. "There's three options. The decision would have to be made on which ones get absorbed into the general fund which would have to be offset by something else, then which ones would go pay-to-play and which ones would be eliminated," Amrhein said. Leslie Kendall, co-chair for the levy campaign committee, said she's concerned that misinformation may cause voters to defeat the measure. "The biggest misconception is that the levy is going to increase," Kendall said. "The levy is not increasing. We're only asking for an extended time period. Instead of the usual three-year increment, the next levy seeks approval for a five-year period. Kendall said it costs between $8,000 and $10,000 to run the campaign every three years and organizers felt those funds could be put to use elsewhere. "We just feel the city would be better served and we could use that money for better things," Kendall said. Campaign organizers said more volunteers are needed for sign placement, canvassing and the "Get Out The Vote" campaign. Volunteers will canvass Ashland Saturday and Sunday and once again on Saturday, May 3, providing homes with information about the levy. The "Get Out The Vote" campaign will begin one week after residents receive their ballots. According to Jackson County Election Officials, residents must register to vote by April 29 in order to participate in the election. All residents will receive voter pamphlets April 22 and ballots will be mailed out May 3 - due back no later than 8 p.m., Tuesday May 20. To volunteer or for more information about the levy, contact Richard Barth, campaign coordinator at 482-8445. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -