Federal Way Public Schools will be seeking to renew two expiring levies on Feb. 8 next year, the Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) Levy and Tech Levy.

Voting YES will provide equitable, high-quality, and supportive education to our youth setting them up for a path of success well into the future.

Local levies are so critical to our school district as they provide the essential programs that will offer both opportunities and investments not only in our district, but in our children and generations to come. Without the EP&O levy, funding for school support staff like nurses, paraeducators, college and career specialists, athletics, music, and special education won’t exist. Without the Tech Levy funding, continuance to provide equitable technology access for our school children won’t occur as we all saw what happened last year during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Levies help fund the day-to-day operations of schools. The EP&O Levy isn’t new to Federal Way as this levy has been supported every time it has come up for renewal since 1980 which showcases Federal Way Public Schools track record of fiscal responsibility to our community. The Tech Levy will ensure that the school district has a reliable technology infrastructure, software maintenance and needed upgrades, and will help fund teacher professional development.

I ask that you join teachers, parents, neighbors, local businesses, and many community leaders in supporting a YES vote for these two levies on Feb. 8, 2022.

A vote for YES will make all of the needed essentials happen. Voting YES will create opportunity. Voting YES will assure the investment in our children, but most of all voting YES shows that you believe in the education of children that call Federal Way home.

To find out more information on the levies go to: www.fwps.org/levies2022.

Gregory Baruso

Federal Way