Dear Sir:

Our property taxes have increased astronomically over the past four years or so, from $600 per year to now $2,400 per year. This has forced us to refianace from a 15 year morgage with our local credit union to a 30 year, out of the area , in order to roll our property tax into a monthly payment. We had fallen 18 months behind in our taxes and could not recover. This is on an unfinished home that we began building in 1985, and have lived in since. 

 This we could live with, except for the kicker. We cannot use our public schools or busses, and that is where most of our property tax dollars go! To make a long story short, We are in the Riverside school district. It is at a levy rate of almost $20 per thousand. We have three sons 14, 10 and 8. The youngest was tested in firstgrade in the public school, and found to be gifted. He was at a fourth grade learning level and has a short attention span when it comes to first grade learning. That translated into behavior problems in the classroom.

The Elementary staff tested and determined that he should go into the Behavior Improvement Program (BIP). I spent time in this class observing. This class was comprised of 12 emotionally disturbed boys from age 5 to 12. Many were in fostercare some acted out in class in ways that I did not want my 6 year old to emulate.

 Riverside is well know for being a "better" and preferred school system. It has better funding than some other districts. If my son was "handicapped" he could have a full time adult assigned to him.

If he has genius potential, he is shoved into a military style class of aggressive misfits, where children are allowed to have pubic dislays of serious misbehavior. 

  We live on 20 acres in the country near Eloika lake. Our busses have been taken over by trailercourt children whose renting families come and go. The bus is so violent, filthy and uncontrolled it makes "Lord of the flies"  look like preschool.  the kindergarteners are exposed for almost 2 hours a day to the teens who "own" the bus.

 I have tried repeatedly to encourage something positive to be done about this, to no effect. I am not willing to drive the 15 miles a day that the other caring neighbor parents do, and have done for YEARS.

 O.K. Here's my point! Finally!

Being a caring parent I chose to homeschool. The difference in my children in the past year has been amazing! I am wonderfully pleased with the improvement in all of thier behaviors. We are truly a family now. I had not realised how destructive the mob mentality had been to my sons until they were free of it.

 Yet we are still paying BIG BUCKS to a collective school system that has failed our children, and our sons DO need teaching by someone other than I.  

I must say that this is the most critical issue that we as taxpayers, face right now.

 The state of Wisconsin passed law on 6/10/98 that allows freedom of choice for consumers of education. We desperately need this in Washington state.

The Department of Education has taken our freedom and money away from us, and allowed us no recourse. Please do what you can to rectify this critical situation. Any recommendations you could make, as to others I can write to concerning this would be greatly appreciated. 

Please help us.