Bozeman And Gateway Pass School Levies While Others Struggle

It was school levy time around Gallatin Valley again and some passed, while others didn't.

It seems these levies come up on a regular basis, and I suppose they will continue to as School Districts juggle the rising costs of education. While some communities tend to embrace education more than others, in the end, who wins and who loses?

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I will be completely transparent, I'm married to a teacher. I see how hard she works and I see the effort she puts into her students. I'll be honest, she works harder than I do, and I make a significant amount more than she does. While I would love to see her salary increase, I also understand that people feel over taxed.

Which school levies passed?

Both Bozeman and Gateway passed levies while Belgrade, Manhattan and Three Forks voted them down.

We can go back and fourth on these things, but the question is, what do we want for the future of our communities? If I was a teacher, would I want to stay where I am with no salary increase, or would I want to drive a few miles and make thousands more? I think most of us would make the same choice.

I understand that this area of Montana is very expensive to live in and many of us feel like we pay enough in taxes already, so it isn't that folks are anti-education as much as they are anti-establishment.

However, who suffers?

Education is one of the only things that you get before you pay for it. Kids receive an education, then end up paying for it in the later years. Oh, and here is another thing, for those who's kids are grown and out of school...remember those tax dollars pay for your future doctors, nurses, mechanics, and other things.

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On the other hand, I'm tired of paying more in taxes as well.