Students at high school need your help in passing levy

Dear editor:

My name is Tyler Knauth and I'm a tenth grader at Mountain Home High School. While talking to my mom the other day, I realized that she's spent roughly a third of her 35 years in school and that I'll spend 13 of my first 18 years in school.

Most folks call those your developmental years and many call them your best years.

All I know is that the activities you were involved in during those years probably had a big influence on the enjoyment of those years and also played a part in who you are today. Those activities were led by your teachers, principals, band directors, coaches and volunteers. Many of the same people you see in the room today. These people were inspired to be the teachers, coaches, and volunteers because of the opportunities and positive experiences they had when they were in school.

The Mountain Home School District has a long history of participation and success in both the classroom and in extracurricular activities. Many, many students have had the opportunity to compete at district and state level sporting events, cheer competitions, band and choir competitions, speech and debate competitions and academic competitions throughout the state of Idaho. Even more students have been a part of these events by cheering and supporting their fellow students throughout the school year.

You've probably heard by now that the Mountain Home School District is in a world of hurt because of funding shortages. There's a very good chance right now that this shortage will cause cuts in both teacher salaries and extracurricular activities. These are the activities of your children and grandchildren. These are the activities that you'll attend, and cheer and support. These are the activities that will make you proud and, more importantly, will shape who your kids and grandkids will become as they grow into adulthood. These are the future teachers, band directors, coaches and volunteers that will lead the next generation through their developmental years.

The students of Mountain Home are asking for your help with passing the upcoming school levy. We can sell raffle tickets and have bake sales and car washes, but that's not going to be enough this time. We need your help. We're not asking for money to build a new gymnasium or auditorium or band room or football field. We're just asking for the money to put students into the existing gymnasium, the existing auditorium and on the softball, baseball and soccer fields.

We're asking for help to give us the same wonderful school years and school memories that you had.

Tyler Knauth