The Bremerton School District board of directors will be asking voters to once again approve a School Support Levy so we may continue programs and strive by  “Holding On to Our Children’s Future” on Feb.11.

The current levy and levy equalization funds support nearly 24 percent of the district’s overall budget.

Before considering a request for these funds, the Bremerton School District board of directors solicited information from the community to determine renewal collections amounts that reflect slight increases over the four years.

This helps provide for classroom needs like media support, Honors and Advanced Placement programs, music, extra-curricular activities, transportation, safety and security, and maintenance for our buildings.

We continue to offer our staff professional development that provides them the tools they need to meet the transition to Common Core State Standards and the assessments that will go with the standards.

With the support of our fabulous community, we have been able to offer free all-day kindergarten in all of our elementary schools, continue to increase student achievement in preschool through 12th grade, increase graduation rates by offering programs that meet the needs of more students, and utilize curriculum to provide our students the best possible educational while they are with us.

We are aware of the sacrifices our community makes to ensure our schools provide the best education possible for every single student.

On behalf of the board of directors and myself, we thank you for your support.

Submitted by Aaron Leavell, Superintendent of the Bremerton School District.