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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Bonds are for buildings; levies are for learning.

Bonds are for building. Levies are for learning. The two are often confused or combined, but each helps pay for distinctly different things in K-12 public school districts. Ballots are expected to arrive Friday for a Feb. 10 special election that will ask Spokane County voters to consider both. Five school districts – Spokane Public Schools, Cheney, Nine Mile Falls, Central Valley and Mead – are seeking bond approval from voters for school construction and upgrades. Twelve of Spokane County’s 14 school districts are asking voters to renew school levies. In each case, the tax rate would not change. This graphic illustrates what you need to know about these levy proposals:

Graphic by Molly Quinn.