School news for the week of Jan. 28

Clearing up the confusion around McCleary

BETHEL SCHOOL DISTRICT

Ballots will arrive in mailboxes later this week and, for the fifth time, Bethel voters will weigh in on a School Construction Bond to build much needed new schools.

But confusion over state funding, marijuana revenue, lottery money and McCleary have residents scratching their heads over why bonds are still needed to fund school construction.

In regards to marijuana, Washington is projected to rake in more than $730 million in marijuana revenue over the 2017-19 biennium, but none of that money is specifically earmarked to pay for the construction of public schools.

When it comes to the lottery, many people falsely believe the lottery funds K-12 education because, for a time, it did. In 2009 the state redirected lottery dollars back to the general fund.

Lastly, McCleary had nothing to do with funding school construction. Local school districts are still responsible for the majority of the cost to build new schools and fix old ones through School Construction Bonds.

Bethel ballots arrive in mailboxes this week.

Election Day is February 12. 

EATONVILLE GRADUATE MAKES MSU HONOR ROLL

Montana State University has announced its undergraduate honor rolls for fall semester 2018, according to an MSU news release. 

There are two MSU honor roll lists, the President's and the Dean's Honor Roll. Students must complete a minimum of 12 credit hours to be on either list. 

Students with a perfect 4.0-grade point average for the semester were named to the Presidents Honor Roll. An asterisk follows the names of students named to the MSU President's Honor Roll in the listed below. 

The Dean's Honor Roll includes 3,541 students earning grade point averages of 3.5 or above for the semester. 

Local students name to MSU's president's or dean's lists ordered according to their hometown include; 

•Mia Snyder*, Eatonville.