Did you know that story problems in mathematics start in kindergarten? Reading runs across all subjects. It is the foundation for everything. And did you know reading deficits in third grade are correlated to dropout rates?

Currently, Ocean Beach School District’s report card from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has some of the very lowest scores in Washington. Our graduation rate is only 70.7% with a dropout rate of 20.2% for 2021-2022. Over four years, our district’s overall graduation rate is only 71%.

In my last year of teaching at Ocean Park Elementary (2021-22), over one-third of my third graders arrived with pre-K, kindergarten, and first grade reading levels, and, sadly, no reading intervention programs existed then and they remain nonexistent today for kindergarten through third grade — the most critical time for learning to read.

Ultimately, in my classroom, as the need was so great, I spent an hour-plus nearly every day providing reading interventions that I purchased. By the end of the year, my students made significant, measurable results in reading.

Reading help is available through federal and state funding for struggling students not meeting grade-level or academic standards, but this School Board chooses to sign off on all district-proposed budgets, such as how it uses Title One funds (federal) or Learning Assistance Program (LAP) funds (state). Where is that money being used? For behavior interventions, which is a reaction not a solution. These choices made by this district and this school board likely contribute to the dropout rates our community is seeing.

Naselle-Grays River Valley Schools, on the other hand, is using their Title One and LAP funds for reading and mathematics interventions and assistance programs. Their graduation rate for 2021-2022, and their overall graduation rate, is greater than 90%. While it is a smaller district, its prioritization of Title One and LAP funds for reading and mathematics shows in its graduation rates.

Reading at grade level has lasting positive impacts on students: their overall social and emotional wellbeing, their success in other subjects and sports, and how they feel about school and peers.

A school board has many duties including monitoring a district’s progress towards its goals but also ensuring a quality education for every student in the district. We are missing that here, and that is one of the reasons Mark Mansell has my vote for School Board Director for District 1. Mark is ready to get to work, and every one of our kids deserves a quality, public education.

TRACEY CROOK

Ocean Park