Plan would lift school levy limit

Districts could collect taxes earlier approved by voters

Wed., April 8, 2009

Richard Roesler Staff writer

OLYMPIA – In a move that could mean millions of dollars more for local schools, Gov. Chris Gregoire is proposing letting school districts collect millions of dollars more in property taxes that are currently off-limits.

Voters in about 75 school districts across the state have approved slightly higher levies than the schools can actually collect because of a state law limiting levies to 24 percent of what the state and federal governments give to local schools.

“I’ve tried to come up with a policy in my office that you can’t just say ‘don’t cut.’ You have to come up with solutions,” Gregoire said.

With schools facing hundreds of millions of dollars in proposed budget cuts, the governor said, it’s time to lift that restriction. If lawmakers and school boards agree, schools could collect about $62 million more statewide under Gregoire’s plan.

“The voters have already voted to pay these levies,” she said. “We should lift the artificial cap and let the money go forward, maintaining education for our students.”

The change would mean about $10 more a year per $100,000 in property value, Spokane Public Schools officials estimate.

The school board would have to consider the matter, said associate superintendent Mark Anderson. But over the long term, he said, school officials want to see state government paying more school costs, instead of relying heavily on local property tax levies.

Already, Anderson said, the levy is helping pay for basic things like special education, student transportation, English as a second language classes and $20 million in teacher salaries.

“A lot of it is eaten up in what the state should be providing,” he said. “The levy should be enriching the local community wants, not basic education.”

Gregoire met with top lawmakers Tuesday to discuss raising the levy limit.

She says the change would be temporary, but that the cash would help school districts struggling to balance their budgets. It’s important to protect education, she said, even during an economic downturn.

“We can’t set ourselves back so far that we can’t recover,” Gregoire said.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.