Mukilteo schools seek OK for 2 levies
Published 10:01 pm Thursday, January 28, 2010
MUKILTEO — The Mukilteo School District will ask voters on the Feb. 9 ballot to OK taxes for academics and extracurricular activities as well as for repairs and maintenance of its buildings.
Proposition No. 1 is a four-year maintenance and operations levy to replace one that voters approved in 2006.
If voters say yes, the tax will raise up to $32 million in 2011, increasing to a maximum of $37.5 million in 2014.
Those taxes would pay for additional teachers, transportation, music supplies and extracurricular activities not covered by the state and keep some elective classes in place.
Proposition No. 2 is a capital levy that seeks $20 million over six years to cover the costs of repairing and maintaining the district’s three high schools, four middle schools and 11 elementary schools for 14,000 students.
“Those monies will be spent on critical needs,” said Judy Schwab, Mukilteo School Board president. “We have some schools with roofs that are in dire need of replacing.”
If voters agree to both propositions, school district property taxes will increase 31 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value next year, then decrease each year through 2014 because the district is paying off old construction bonds, said Andy Muntz, district spokesman.
District property owners now pay $3.62 per $1,000 of assessed value. If they approve both measures, those taxes would increase to $3.93 per $1,000.
Current costs for all district taxes to the owner of a $300,000 house is $1,086 a year.
If both measures pass, the owner of that $300,000 house will pay an additional $93, or $1,179, in 2011.
Two years ago, district voters passed a technology levy. That tax, which amounts to 23 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, won’t change.
The state covers most of the district’s budget, but about 19 percent is left up to the district to collect from local taxes. State legislators this year are grappling with a $2.6 billion budget shortfall.
“Even if the levy passes, we’re still looking at cuts this year. If the levy were not to pass, those cuts would be draconian,” Schwab said.
Oscar Halpert: 425-339-3429, ohalpert@heraldnet.com.
