School Maintenance And Operations Levies On March 14 Ballot

Citizens across the Spokane Valley will vote on March 14 on three-year tax levies to help fund their schools.

These routine levies supply about 20 percent of the money necessary for the school’s educational programs. If voters approve, levy rates across the Valley would stay at current levels or even drop slightly.

Central Valley, East Valley and West Valley school boards each voted this week to place these maintenance and operations levies on the ballot on March 14.

If approved, Central Valley’s levy collection would raise $12.8 million in 2001; $13.6 million in 2002; and $14.4 million in 2003.

Central Valley’s tax rate would remain at an estimated $3.95 per thousand dollars of assessed property value, the current rate.

In East Valley, the levy would collect $5.2 million in 2001; $5.5 million in 2002; and $5.8 million in 2003. The tax rate is estimated at $3.90 per thousand dollars. The tax rate on the current levy is $3.99.

In West Valley, the levy would bring in $4.8 million in 2001; $5 million in 2002; and $5.3 million in 2003. The estimated tax rate would be $4.65 per thousand; West Valley’s current levy rate is $4.78.

West Valley will also run a $1.5 million technology levy. This would renew a current technology levy. Tax rates for this levy are estimated at 48 cents per thousand in 2001; 46 cents per thousand in 2002; and 44 cents per thousand in 2003.

Freeman School Board discussed its levy this week, but won’t set final amounts until later this month.

A couple of factors set this year’s school levies apart from the normal.

First, the voting date is later than usual. That’s because the Legislature moved the school levy date for February to Feb. 29, the same date as Washington’s new presidential primary.

School districts are leary of getting mixed up with the presidential primary. Officials worry that the primary will bring out a large and unpredictable body of voters. So they are dropping back to their next legal date, March 14.

Next, officials this week also approved a back-up levy date of April 25, in case the first attempt doesn’t pass. School levies need a 60 percent approval rate, with a validation of 40 percent of the turnout from the last general election.

Finally, it’s unusual to see a three-year levy.

Last year’s Legislature agreed to let school districts pass three- or four-year levies. The norm had been two-year levies. Most school districts in Spokane County are opting for three-year levies this time, to get off the presidential primary cycle, officials say.

The school levies help with a wide range of expenses from supplies and busing costs, to vocational, gifted and art programs.

Such levies do not include any money for teacher pay; state tax money covers those salaries.