A local option levy will bring an estimated $50,000-$65,000 a year for the next three years to schools at the heart of the small rural community of Falls City.

Funds will support deferred maintenance on the town's 1920s high school and aging elementary school and the equipment needed to provide that maintenance.

We've never tried to pass a local option before, and no one can recall a bond measure for schools, either.
Peter Tarzian, Superintendent, Falls City School District

School board members and the district's budget committee developed a list of maintenance problems over the past three years. The items on that list were gradually were getting worse. Roof maintenance and fire-escape repairs were among other listed items that couldn't be addressed in the general fund because of a drop in revenue.

Superintendent Peter Tarzian estimates that from 1990 to the time of his arrival as superintendent in 1999, Falls City School District lost 37 percent of its revenue due to Measure 5 cuts and equalization.

"Shortfalls in the recession years of 2003-04 and 2004-05 caused us to fall further behind," he said, "and we haven't caught up."

The decision to go for a local option levy was new in Falls City.

"We've never tried to pass a local option before, and no one can recall a bond measure for schools, either," Tarzian said.

The school board held meetings to discuss the proposed levy, but the meetings were lightly attended. Information mailed to voters explained what the local option levy would pay for.

"Our campaign was definitely grassroots," Tarzian said. Communication was by word of mouth through board members and to parents at the high school and elementary school parents' clubs.

"It was very informal one-on-one communication."

Conversations began with friends talking at the local store or tavern, for example. (The schools and the post office are the only other businesses in Falls City.)

"One person might say, `Hey, have you heard they need to do some work on the roof at the high school?'" Tarzian explained. "The other fellow would say, `Well, I might have heard something.' Then the first person would ask, `Have you noticed the grass growing out of the gutters on the roof?'"

Falls City has a population of around 1,000, and the combined annual income for the average family is less than $19,000.

"Passing the levy speaks highly of the willingness of community members to reach into their pockets and come through for kids," Tarzian said. "This community sticks together and believes in supporting our schools."

Lessons learned by the school board in this election will influence future planning, as this levy will expire in three years.

"The board started talking about this levy to community members in September, but, next time, we'd like to start getting organized in May with our grassroots efforts," Tarzian said. "It would have been helpful to speak informally to people over the summer about the needs of the district."

There are about 775 registered voters in Falls City. When the votes were counted in November, the levy passed by six votes - 198 to 192.

"Next time, we'd like to add a zero to that six-point spread, and make it a 60-vote spread," Tarzian said.