“The election may technically be 17 days in the future, but in reality it’s going on right now.And supporters of the South Whidbey School District levy realize that. They’ve been talking to any group willing to listen, and Wednesday evening they telephoned about 500 of those crucial absentee voters — they’re the ones who are making their decision well before the official Feb. 29 election day.The Island County Auditor’s Office finished sending out 38,618 absentee ballots county-wide on Wednesday, said Loann Gullick, elections officer. That’s just under one-third of all the registered voters. And as of Thursday, approximately 1,000 absentees had already been returned.No wonder school levy supporters are trying to get the word out early.Part of school campaign was also sending two speakers to the League of Women Voters’ Issues Night on Wednesday. And although they were largely speaking to a small choir of supporters, levy campaign co-chairs Debora Valis and Dean Hatt covered the gamut of levy questions.Basically, the issue is whether property owners are wiling to continue the present two-year maintenance and operation levy for another two years. The cost is estimated at a maximum of $1.54 per thousand, which will bring in slightly over $3 million in both 2001 and 2001.Without that money, the school district will be hurting, Valis and Hatt agreed.The students are our future, said Hatt, himself a graduate of the local high school. We need to bring the money in to be able to do the job right.While the state supplies so-called basic education funding, local taxpayers are asked to help. The newest levy proposal, if approved, will supply about 18 percent of total school district revenue.Levy money is used for a wide range of services, including additional teachers and instructional aides to reduce class sizes, as well as substitute teachers and teacher training. Other uses include unfunded transportation and food service costs, added special education costs, student sports and activities (such as music and arts), as well as textbooks, supplies and technology equipment. The levy also pays for maintenance, which Hatt noted has increased in recent years with the addition of 75,000 square feet of new space, mostly at the high school.I can’t even imagine being in a school district without the levy money, said Barbara Schneeman, a school board member who was part of the Issue Night audience.Valis told the group that without levy money, There would be very obvious deficits. And she noted that senior citizens and the disabled who meet certain income limits may not have to pay the excess levy. Those interested should check with the Auditor’s Office.As always, the levy needs support from 60 percent of the voters, and the voter turnout must be at least 40 percent of the number who voted in the last general election in November. About 6,500 voted in this school district in November, Valis said.”