LAKEWOOD — Voters are being asked to renew one levy and approve a second to help pay for programs, maintenance and technology in the Lakewood School District.
A special election is scheduled for Feb. 9 and both measures are on the ballot. They need more than 50 percent of the votes to pass.
The larger of the two requests is for educational programs and operations. If approved, that levy would generate about $25.6 million over the next four years, according to district documents. The tax rate would start at $3.18 per $1,000 assessed property value in 2017, which totals about $954 a year on a $300,000 home. The rate is expected to go up to $3.22 per $1,000, or roughly $966 on a $300,000 home, by 2020.
Voters in the Lakewood School District last approved an operations levy in 2012. It’s set to expire at the end of 2016. The new levy would pick up where the current one leaves off.
Voters currently pay $3.27 per $1,000 assessed property value on the operations levy, but that is estimated to drop to $3.18 in 2016, meaning there would be no change expected from the 2016 to 2017 rate if the levy were renewed.
Local dollars support about a quarter of the school district’s day-to-day operations. The money bridges the gap between how much schools get from state and federal sources and how much it costs to educate students, according to the district.
Nearly 70 percent of the money from levies goes toward paying teachers and other staff, providing student services and keeping up with curriculums. Another 16 percent goes to upkeep on schools and the rest of the levy money is for transportation, extracurriculars and technology.
Technology also is a focus of the district’s second request to voters. A capital projects and technology levy is on the ballot alongside the operations levy. It would bring in $2.85 million between 2017 and 2020. The tax would expire after 2020, according to the district.
The money would cover the costs of upgrading equipment, software, networks, security, training and IT support in schools. The levy dollars also could be used to update district buildings.
The technology levy is expected to cost taxpayers 34 cents per $1,000 assessed property value in 2017 and 2018, then 35 cents in 2019 and 2010. That’s $102 a year and $105 a year, respectively, on a $300,000 home.
Homeowners in the Lakewood School District also are paying off a $66.8 million bond approved in April 2014. That sum is going toward a new high school, with construction set to start in 2016. The bond rate this year is $2.21 per $1,000 assessed value and homeowners would continue to pay off the bond on top of the levies if they are approved.
The Lakewood School District serves about 2,250 students from kindergarten to 12th grade. It is one of seven districts in Snohomish County that have measures on the Feb. 9 special election ballot, according to the county elections office. The Arlington, Edmonds, Lake Stevens, Mukilteo, Stanwood-Camano and Sultan school districts also have measures on the ballot.
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
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