Our quality schools are the pride of our community. Voting “Yes” on Prop 1 renews our commitment to quality education.

Bellevue School District achieves some of the best educational outcomes in the State thanks to our quality teachers, involved parents and families, and broad community support. Prop 1 strengthens each of these pillars by funding: High-Quality Learning with Career & Technical Education (CTE); Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); world languages, and advanced learning programs; Student Well-Being with nurses, counselors, and safety staff; Student Programs Not Funded by the State including  programs like art and music; extra-curricular athletics and after-school opportunities; Education Essentials such as classroom instruction materials, transportation, and literally keeping the heat and lights on.

The fact is that the State doesn’t fully fund these core needs, and local school districts are expected to cover them through local levies. This levy renewal continues funding basic educational needs that our students rely on. It is Not a New Tax and simply renews the existing levy at the existing tax rate.

Our students thrive thanks to our community’s support. Now they’re counting on us to vote “Yes” and renew Prop 1 for student success!

Statement submitted by: Tim Motts, My-Linh Thai and Lynne Robinson, www.BellevueQualitySchools.org

This 4 year Enrichment Levy is a 43% increase in dollars over the previous 4 year Enrichment Levy. Hardly a “renewal.” This levy is supposed to be called an Enrichment Levy – for student enrichment programs – not staff salary enrichment. For 2024-2025, there were 26 WA school districts, Bellevue is one, that compensated their superintendent at over $400,000. That is more than the governor’s compensation. The McCleary Decision called for equitable and sufficient funding for all WA school districts by the State funding mechanism. WA’s public Charter schools stick within their budget. Charters don’t (and cannot by law) ask for additional funding through these incessant local school district levies. Traditional public school districts need to follow the same rules.

For the 2024-2025 school year, the district already had a Total Per Pupil Expenditure of roughly $27,000. We, voters, need to make a principled decision and reject this extra spending. As of 2025, about 60% of our property taxes go to K-12 funding. This is driving home ownership and rents further out of reach and hence hurting our children’s future. (Renters pay property taxes in their rents.)

For a logical, accurate cost analysis, see the SchoolDataProject.com website.

Statement submitted by: Kendall Demaree, commentsbsdlevyopposition@gmail.com

The against-schools committee’s figures are not correct, and levy funds are not used to pay administrator salaries. Voting “YES” maintains the same, stable rate the voters have already approved. The two existing levies account for 24% of 2024-2025 school funding. Levy failure would mean drastic cuts to essential student programs and support. Thanks to our community’s support, Bellevue SD has some of the highest educational outcomes in the State. Vote “YES” for student success!

Statement submitted by: Tim Motts, My-Linh Thai and Lynne Robinson, www.BellevueQualitySchools.org

The Pro statement proports the Levy is required to cover items already addressed by McCleary. Quoted from Prop 1 pro statement: "literally keeping the heat and lights on."

Either the state is grossly underfunding basic student needs as required by state law, the funds are mismanaged by BSD or both.  Or possibly the "pro" statement is simply fictional, emotional overselling of the levy.  Seriously, without the levy the lights will be off?

Statement submitted by: Kendall Demaree, commentsbsdlevyopposition@gmail.com

Download the full text of the resolution

Simple majority (Wash. Const. art. VII, sec. 2(a))

For questions about this measure, contact: John Harrison, Chief of Staff, (425) 456-4142, harrisonj@bsd405.org