On February 10, Battle Ground voters will decide the future of our local schools with Proposition 10. We are currently at a dangerous crossroads: starting January 2026, Battle Ground Public Schools became the only district in Southwest Washington without an active local educational programs and operations (EP&O) levy.
While some may see a "no" vote as a way to control taxes, history warns that this path often leads to exactly the opposite result. Look at the 2007 dissolution of the Vader School District. For years, Vader voters rejected local levies, hoping to avoid the tax burden. When those consecutive failures left the district unable to function, it was forcibly dissolved and annexed into the neighboring Castle Rock School District.
The irony was immediate and expensive. Before the merger, Vader officials had asked for a levy rate of approximately $1.81 per $1,000. After the district collapsed, those same residents were legally absorbed into Castle Rock and forced to pay Castle Rock's significantly higher levy rates (approximately $2.53 per $1,000), rates they had no hand in choosing. By 2009, they were paying roughly $1.00 more per $1,000 than the "lower" rate they had originally rejected.
We are seeing the beginning of a similar collapse here. Because of the double levy failure in 2025, our district has already cut $14 million and 116 staff positions.
If Proposition 10 fails on February 10, the district faces another $20 million in immediate cuts for the 2026-27 school year. These cuts jeopardize the optimal class sizes, student safety, school sports, special education, and, potentially, local control of the second-lowest rates in the region.
Furthermore, continued financial insolvency triggers increased state oversight. Under Washington law, the state has the authority to intervene or even mandate consolidation if a district can no longer meet its basic obligations. If Battle Ground is ever forced into a merger with a neighboring district like Vancouver (approximately $3.43 per $1,000) or Evergreen (approximately $3.85 per $1,000), we, like the voters in Vader, will likely find ourselves paying the higher rates of those districts without the local control we currently enjoy.
Proposition 10 is a replacement levy, not a new tax. It asks for an estimated rate of $1.99 per $1,000—a reasonable investment to restore our schools and maintain our independence.
Don’t let Battle Ground become the next Vader. Please vote "yes" on Proposition 10 by February 10 to keep our tax rates local and our schools strong.
Ryan Anderson
Battle Ground
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