Parents urge voters to back Issue 2; treasurer reports spike in public records requests

Two parents used the board's public comment period on May 4 to urge Lakewood voters to pass the school levy on the ballot the next day. Kelly Moyer, president of the Lakewood Early Childhood PTA and a founding member of Preserve Lakewood Schools, told the board a "yes" vote on the levy does not mean endorsing every prior decision but "means that we as voters care about making sure that our classrooms stay strong." She asked the board to "continue earning that trust every single day."

Brittany Bracker, a parent at Emerson Elementary who has been canvassing for the levy, said many households will face financial hardship yet are prepared to support the levy because they value public education. "For many people this levy will be a hardship and yet they are going to support it," she said, describing conversations from about 300 doors canvassed.

Separately during the superintendent's report and financial briefing, Treasurer Roddy summarized the district's public records workload since November. Roddy said the district received approximately 238 public records requests in the reviewed period and that responding requires coordination across departments and sometimes legal review. Roddy identified three frequent requestors who accounted for a large share of the volume: 75 requests by Zach Robach, 60 by Trish Hendy, and 42 by Brian Higgins.

Why it matters: The levy vote is time-sensitive (on the ballot the day after the meeting) and public sentiment expressed during comments reflects both support for schools and ongoing concerns about governance and transparency. The records request totals indicate staff resource implications for the district’s response process.

What’s next: The levy is on the ballot tomorrow; district staff will continue fulfilling public records requests and tracking workload impacts noted in the treasurer’s report.