02/10/2026
My husband and I moved to Shelton to plant roots & grow a family. Nick, a Warrant Officer for the Air National Guard, drives to JBLM each day because we chose a small town filled with big hearts. Over the last 8 years, our family has intertwined with this community. I love knowing my neighbors, fellowshipping with our church, & rooting for the high school sports teams.
When our eldest started kindergarten, we became involved with Bordeaux’s PTSO. I am grateful for the admin, teachers, and paras who greet each kid by name. Whenever I’m in the library, multiple students wave through the windows to Ms. Omdahl, the librarian. They leave giddy because she outmatched their waves & smiles with her own. This warms my heart.
Public school is a unique system because it is for all youth living in one area. All income brackets, all religions, all abilities. Every child can receive an education, however, because it is designed for an entire community, it takes an entire community for a public school district to be successful. The more support from the community, the better the education. The state thinks so too. If Shelton passes our levy, Washington State will “match” an extra $4 million a year for the next 3 years called Local Effort Assistance.
As co-chair of the English Department at Shelton High School, I pay a lot of attention to reading scores. Coming out of Covid, we knew our students would need more support. So, teachers have undergone extensive professional development and our scores are rising. The district has seen an explosive increase in reading scores over the course of the last few years. Did you know, Shelton High School students are currently scoring above the state average? I worry that if the levy fails, our scores will falter. I worry about my & my colleagues’ future class sizes swelling beyond our 32 desks. I worry about my daughter’s future class sizes too.
One of the things that makes small towns so special is public education. The way a community supports their schools reveals that town’s commitment to their present youth & future.
-Shelton businesses have opened their doors for internships for Shelton High School students.
- If you attended the Cookie Stroll, you sampled our Culinary students’ work.
- Our media students film state championships learning through hands-on experiences.
- Our teens earn industry certifications and credentials in welding, construction, medicine & more.
- Our students rake in FFA, FBLA, & theater awards.
-Our athletes are playing collegiate sports next year.
-Our high school students are leaders, entrepreneurs, & scholars now and they need your support.
I also want my daughter to learn communication, teamwork & perseverance through music & live performance. I want her to experience the joys and pains of sportsmanship with all of her classmates-regardless of income. I want her to experience exploratory electives that lead her towards her passion. She tells me all the time how excited she is to get to high school to take our classes.
Please join me in renewing the levy. I voted YES for my daughter, my job, & my community.
Tiffany Leggett
