LAKE STEVENS — Much is at stake for the Lake Stevens School District on the Feb. 9 ballot.
District voters will consider a four-year replacement levy in the all-mail election.
“Simply put, it’s 20 percent of our budget and 20 percent of our programs,” said Dave Burgess, the school district superintendent.
Local levy money becomes increasingly critical as the Legislature again prepares to cut state education spending, Burgess said. Lawmakers are wrestling with a $2.6 billion shortfall.
“Levies have become more and more the lifeblood of basic education for our district,” Burgess said.
Even if the levy passes, Burgess anticipates the district will have to make substantial spending cuts.
For each levy dollar in Lake Stevens, 82 cents goes towards teachers and instructional support, 11 cents for student transportation, 4 cents for athletics and student activities and the remaining 3 cents for other expenses, such as building maintenance, the district’s swimming pool and technology licenses.
If the measure passes, the district would collect about $12.5 million a year from the levy over each of the next four years.
Cost of the levy would be $2.87 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. In 2006, voters approved a four-year levy at a rate of $3.14 per $1,000.
Cost on a $300,000 home would be $861 a year for the new levy. Cost in 2006 on a $300,000 home was $942.
The district also is seeking a four-year technology levy to raise about $1.5 million a year. It would help the district make technology more consistent from classroom to classroom and provide staff training, a five-year computer replacement schedule, updated software, fiber optics and telecommunications.
Cost of the technology levy is 36 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. That would be $108 on a $300,000 home.
The levies require a simple majority to pass.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com.
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