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Letter: Counselors invaluable in education

The Columbian
Published: April 5, 2013, 5:00pm

I’m a middle-school counselor in Battle Ground. My heart breaks for the youth of our community who have committed suicide. I think of the students who have changed their minds about suicide because of intervention by trained counselors.

I see at least two students per month change their minds about suicide after speaking to a counselor. The compassion that our counselors, teachers and administrators show to kids is profound. I want to focus on what we will gain with a “yes” vote on the current levy. We gain the opportunity to save lives. A “yes” vote places a middle-school counselor at every campus in the district, retains 90 teachers, and keeps class sizes small. It retains assistant principals, security personnel, and intervention specialists.

Without a levy, I am concerned we will miss opportunities to save lives. I also worry about what we might lose if absorbed by a neighboring district. We lose local control and put ourselves at risk for higher taxes based on the assessment of whichever district inherits Battle Ground Public Schools should the district become insolvent. Please vote for our kids — vote “yes” for the levy on April 23.

Michelle Rowen

VANCOUVER

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