Residents to Vote on $16 Million Eastmont School District Levy
Voters are asked to weigh in on the four-year, nearly $16 million Educational Programs & Operations (EP&O) Levy.
There are two possible outcomes: renewal or expiration. Either one will titanically impact the Eastmont School District, which comprises six elementary schools, two junior high schools and a senior high school in Douglas County.
"Renewal" is the operative word here. The district is taking pains to assure people this isn't a new tax; it's a continuation of the status quo. Residents already pay $1.93 for every $1,000 of assessed valuation.
The district says that if anything, the tax rate will likely fall further with the infusion of new arrivals like Microsoft's Data Centers or Amazon's Last Mile Distribution Center. There's no telling yet when these entities will hit the tax rolls, so the exact tax decrease is hard to quantify.
A press release tries to hammer home the marked difference between bonds and levies. To put it reductively, bonds are for building; levies are for learning. In this case, "the levy pays for just about everything in the school district to some degree. Funds support School Resource Officers, paraeducators and teachers, all of athletics, the arts and student clubs, special education and much more." None of these are covered by the state of Washington.
According to this levy flyer, technology, facilities and transportation are funded to the tune of 12%, 10% and 5%, respectively. Staffing, security and extracurriculars are funded completely. The levy covers 10% of special education funding, including preschool.
Meaghan Vibbert, president of the Eastmont School Board, puts it more succinctly: "Levy dollars help Eastmont provide the kind of education our kids deserve."
Voters will decide the levy's fate on Nov. 5.
Property Taxes by State: The USA's Lowest and Highest
Gallery Credit: Scott Clow