Please RENEW this essential Seattle Public Schools Operations Levy. Its passage is vital to the quality of education we are able to provide the more than 49,800 students currently enrolled – and the 7,000 additional students expected in the next ten years. A great city must have great public schools.

The Operations Levy replaces our current levy and provides every school with vital funding for day-to-day education needs that are not fully funded by the state. It accounts for 26% of the District’s operating budget.  The Operations Levy helps pay for items such as teachers, a sixth period at high schools, supplies, bilingual and special education services, security, and student activities such as music and athletics. Without these funds, our children’s education will suffer – teachers and staff would be laid off, class sizes increased and important programs cut.

“Please vote to renew this levy!  Without these resources it is hard to imagine how teachers can do their jobs.  Thank you.”  Carrie Kazala (Teacher, Eckstein Middle School)

This levy is not a new tax. It replaces the expiring Operations Levy. Please vote to renew our commitment to Seattle’s children.

The Seattle School District’s enrollment rate continues to grow; yet the school district has continually used and mismanages many of the funds provided to them.  Countless dollars are not being spent on repairs; schools are taking a loss in funds by selling school at losses only to reopen them.

In 2009 the school district was offered $9.7 million for the sales of Martin Luther King Elementary.  When all was said and done they voted to sell it to a non-profit church for $2.3 million.   This is lost money that could have provided much needed maintenance.   Arbor Heights the oldest school in the district and the most in need of repairs is not even part of the money allotted in the levy.  Now the school district is nearly $550 million in back repairs.

This mismanagement of funds is not helping our students.  We need improvement in our schools.  Do you as a voter want to see your tax dollars go down the drain?

Vote NO on the operations Levy

Renewing the Operations Levy is critical to ensuring a quality education for our kids.  It provides over 25% of the funds needed to operate our schools – money that benefits every one of our students and that the state does not provide.  

The Con statement is incorrect.  The separate Capital Levy will replace the Arbor Heights building and reduce the maintenance backlog.

We cannot have a great city without great schools.  Vote YES on Proposition 1.

Statement submitted by: Norm Rice, Lauren McGuire and Jeff Clark; info@schoolsfirstseattle.org

Poor decisions caused levy dollars to be put at risk by closing schools then reopening them for more money.

There are 26 lawsuits pending against SPS for failure to provide a quality special education.

Over the past ten years voters have given SPS close to a billion dollars. What do we have to show for it? Buildings are crumbling and falling apart.

Based on the reasons set forth please vote against the operations levy.

Statement submitted by: Nick Esparza

Full text of resolution

Simple Majority (Washington Constitution, article VII, section 2(a))