Snohomish County school districts that will be asking voters on Tuesday to approve four-year maintenance and operations levies aren’t eager to discuss what would happen if their proposals are rejected.
They say they don’t want to resort to scare tactics with voters, but the thought of losing up to 20 percent of their annual budgets doesn’t make for cheerful conversation.
They are focused on running positive campaigns and trying to educate voters on the role the levies play in the state’s convoluted school funding system.
"I really think all six of us are in the same boat, and we’re all rowing as fast as we can," said Rosemary O’Neil, spokeswoman for the Monroe School District, one of the six that have levies on the ballot.
Arlington, Darrington, Granite Falls, Lakewood and Stanwood-Camano are the other five districts.
"Every one of those six communities expects high-quality education for every student," O’Neil said. "The levy is the only way we can provide that, because the state doesn’t begin to fund the full cost of education."
The levies are not new taxes, although the new costs are slightly lower or higher, or the same, depending on the district. The existing levies expire at the end of the year, and the new ones will replace them, if approved.
This is the first attempt to pass each levy. When levies fail, districts may try once more in the same year to pass.
Here’s a look at what each district is proposing:
Arlington: $30.05 million over four years, raising an average of $7.5 million annually. Tax on a $200,000 home in 2005 would be $618. Current cost is $630.
For Arlington, the levy represents about 18 percent of its annual budget, said Catherine Russell, a school district spokeswoman. About 40 percent of the levy funds teachers and other district staff. It helps pay for everything from after-school and summer school classes to teacher training, technology, textbooks and transportation.
The proposed levy rate is $3.09 per $1,000 of assessed value in 2005 and would gradually decline to $2.90 per $1,000 by 2008. The current rate is $3.15 per $1,000.
Darrington: $3.76 million total, raising an average of $940,000 annually. Tax on a $200,000 home would be $832. Current cost is $722.
The levy rate would begin at an estimated $4.16 per $1,000 of assessed value in 2005 and gradually increase to a maximum of $4.47 in 2008. The current rate is $3.61 per $1,000.
"The (school) board is optimistic the levy will pass," Darrington Superintendent Randy Swenson said, noting that the levy makes up about 11 percent of the district’s annual budget. "At this time, there have been no discussion about potential cuts."
Granite Falls: The district is seeking passage of two levies.
The first, a maintenance and operations levy, would raise $11.56 million over four years — an annual average of $2.89 million.
The levy represents 18 percent of the budget. Among other things, it pays for three teachers and five other district employees.
The district would face difficult decisions if it did not have the levy money, said Kathy Grant, a district spokeswoman. It helps pay for safety measures such as transportation for students who live within a mile of their schools. It’s also important for textbooks, extracurricular activities and teacher training.
The maintenance levy’s tax on a $200,000 home would be $506. Current cost is $486. The proposed rate is $2.53 per $1,000. The current rate is $2.43.
The second measure, a technology and capital improvement levy, would raise $1.67 million over four years. Tax on a $200,000 home would be $74 a year, replacing a technology levy currently collected at the same rate.
Lakewood: $14.6 million total over four years, raising an average of $3.65 million annually. Tax on a $200,000 home would be $640 in 2005, increasing to $658 by 2008. Current cost is $580.
Proposed levy rates vary from $3.20 per $1,000 to $3.29 per $1,000 in 2008. The current rate is $2.90. The levy money makes up about 17 percent of the budget, district spokesman Allen Sharples said.
If the proposal fails, the district would try a second time to pass it, but would put plans in place to make cuts, Sharples said.
"In the past, whenever we’ve had to go anywhere near this, we try to impact the classroom as little as possible," he said. "But it’s tough, because at 17 percent of our budget, you’re almost automatically talking about looking at people, because even if you cut the rest, it’s not enough."
Monroe: The district is seeking passage of two levies.
The first is $34.7 million for maintenance and operations over four years, about $8.8 million annually. Tax on a $200,000 home would be about $638 in 2005, increasing slightly through 2008. Current cost is $618 a year. The proposed rate for 2005 is $3.19 per $1,000. The current rate is $3.09. The levy money makes up 16 percent of the annual budget, O’Neil said.
The second levy is for transportation, to replace school buses that have been on the road since 1978. It’s a one-year levy that would take in $500,000, collecting $38.40 in 2005 for a $200,000 home.
Stanwood-Camano: The district seeks a $32.8 million levy for maintenance and operations over four years, an $8.2 million annual average. Tax on a $200,000 home would be $450 in 2005. Current cost is $458 a year. The annual cost would vary from $442 in 2006 to $458 in 2008. For 2005, the rate would be $2.25 per $1,000. The levy money makes up 20 percent of the annual budget, said Gary Platt, executive director for business and finance.
Reporter Eric Stevick contributed to this story.
Reporter Victor Balta: 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
