Our schools are one of the most important investments our community makes—and this renewal levy will help keep that investment strong. It provides critical local funding that keeps schools safe, supports student learning, provides extracurricular opportunities, and helps ensure every child has access to the resources they need to succeed.

Voting Yes means continuing local funding that directly supports students, teachers, and programs not fully paid for by the state. This includes academic support, athletics, arts, mental health resources, music, safety, and transportation. This investment touches thousands of students and helps recruit and retain the outstanding teachers and staff who prepare these students for college, careers, and life.

Let’s renew our commitment to strong schools by voting Yes! Strong schools support local businesses, strengthen property values, and prepare the next generation of workers and leaders. This proposal continues a long tradition of local investment in our schools while maintaining one of the lowest school levy rates among neighboring districts.

This levy is not a new tax. It is a continued investment in educational opportunities today and in the strength of our community tomorrow. Please join us in voting Yes for our students, our schools, and our shared future. 

Statement submitted by: Dana Ralph, Bill Boyce, Jeff Wagner, citizensforkentschools.com

We all want strong schools and well-supported students, but writing a bigger check will not fix poor financial management. The district is asking for significantly more money while class sizes grow, enrollment declines, and families are left wondering where the money is actually going.  We cannot continue to fund failing leadership while our students bear the burden of larger classes and reduced support.

District leadership has consistently turned a deaf ear to the community, and this levy comes with no binding promises to safeguard a single program or staffing group.  Make no mistake: this tax hike will not bring back the vital resources cut this year, and it will not stop them from cutting more next year. We cannot keep writing blank checks to an administration that refuses to listen, consistently provides less than surrounding districts, and prioritizes themselves over students.

Furthermore, this levy is running a year ahead of schedule, with no effect on funding until 2028.  Voting “No” now costs our classrooms nothing in 2027.  Stand up for true accountability, new leadership, and better outcomes for our children. Vote no today, and let the district earn your trust with a community-aligned plan before trying again next year.
 

Statement submitted by: Joseph Riley

The opposition’s claims don’t match the facts. Kent School District has passed seven consecutive independent financial accountability audits and maintained a high credit rating—measurable signs of responsible financial management, not financial disarray.

This renewal levy isn’t a blank check. It provides funding for local schools, with accountability for every dollar. Our students deserve decisions based on facts and transparency, not misleading claims that undermine confidence in our schools and the people who serve them.

Statement submitted by: Dana Ralph, Bill Boyce, Jeff Wagner, citizensforkentschools.com

Supporters claim this levy will fund things like student supports, athletics, and the arts.  The last levy promised those same things through 2027, but the district cut them this year.

Don’t accept empty promises. While taxes are rising, test scores and graduation rates are dropping, staffing is being cut, and class sizes are growing. Vote “No” today. Make the district earn your trust with a community-aligned plan and new leadership before trying again next year. 

Statement submitted by: Joseph Riley
 

Download the full text of the resolution

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

For questions about this measure, contact: Dr. Wade Barringer, Deputy Superintendent, (253) 373-7001, Wade.Barringer@kent.k12.wa.us