Voters will have the opportunity to renew the SB 9 mill-levy for Santa Fe public school students on Tuesday, Feb. 7. Every six years, state law allows school districts to ask voters to pass a mill levy, which can only be used for specific capital improvements to better serve all of our students, including at our four charter schools and one state charter school.

The mill levy helps ensure our students have a safe and ideal learning environment. Santa Fe Public Schools will receive approximately $12.7 million of vital student funding each of the next six years. While the levy is a fixed tax applied to assessed property values, your vote to support the levy will continue the funding you supported six years ago, and will not increase current property-tax rates.

By voting in favor of the two-mill levy, all students, including charter schools, will have access to computers, software and updated technology, including computerized white boards for interactive teaching. Schools and classrooms will have regular maintenance and repairs incurred by severe weather, aging facilities and vandalism. Playgrounds, athletic fields and gymnasiums will continue to be safe and comply with regulations. Disabled students will have better school access.

Students need activity buses to safely transport them and their equipment to and from activities. Students need musical instruments, physical education and other athletic equipment. Classroom and library furnishings help students learn. Security lighting, cameras, parking-lot lights and fire alarms help provide a safe, secure and nurturing environment. By law, the money cannot be used for salaries. Each school will also receive funds based on its student enrollment for projects it decides are uniquely needed for its students.

This election is more important than ever. All school districts are experiencing reduced and strained budgets while student enrollment continues to increase. For the last four years, state funding for our students has decreased 4.8 percent, but our student enrollment has increased 3.4 percent. Our needs are greater than ever to ensure student success. It is anticipated there will be approximately a $1.7 million shortfall in next year's legislative budget for our students. This reduction comes on top of the almost $6 million cut from the 2010-11 school year budget. According to the U.S. census, New Mexico ranks in the bottom third of the country in funding per student. We need to preserve our operational budgets for direct teaching needs to ensure all our students receive the high-quality education they deserve.

Our students and your children deserve your support. As the current president of the Santa Fe Board of Education, I encourage you to vote "yes" to support our student needs on Tuesday, Feb. 7.

Santa Fean Barbara Gudwin is president of Santa Fe Public Schools Board of Education.