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Seattle School District No. 1

Proposition No. 2

Capital Levy - $1.4 Billion
 

The Board of Directors of Seattle School District No. 1 requests approval of a capital levy as described in Resolution No. 2018/19-6. The proposition replaces an expiring capital levy and authorizes the levy of excess taxes to fund the Building Excellence Program V for earthquake, safety projects, construction, or renovation at 16 schools; projects for building systems and major maintenance at 72 schools; and technology and other projects throughout the District:

 

 

 

 

Collection 
Years

Estimated 
Levy

Rate/$1,000
Assessed

Value

 

 

 

Levy
Amount

2020

$0.90

$233,333,333

2021

$0.82

$233,333,333

2022

$0.75

$233,333,333

2023

$0.68

$233,333,333

2024

$0.62

$233,333,334

2025

$0.56

$233,333,334

 

Should this proposition be approved?

 

Yes

No


Seattle Public Schools requests voter approval of a capital levy of $1.4 billion for the Building Excellence V (BEX V) Program. The proposed levy will replace an expiring capital levy.

Passage of Proposition No. 2 would allow the levy of taxes over a six year period to pay for earthquake and other safety projects in six schools, renovation, construction, replacement or additions to seven elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and one interim school, construction of building condition and infrastructure improvements and major preventive maintenance at 72 schools, and acquisition and installation of technology equipment and implementation of training and other measures throughout the district to meet the current and future educational needs of its students.

The total amount to be collected will be $233,333,333 annually in the years 2020 through 2023 and $233,333,334 annually in the years 2024 and 2025. The estimated levy rates per $1,000 of assessed value will range from $0.90 per one thousand for 2020 collections to $0.56 per one thousand for 2025 collections. The exact levy rate will be adjusted based upon the actual assessed value of the property within the District at the time of the levy.

Exemptions from taxes may be available to certain homeowners. To determine if you qualify, call the King County Assessor at 206-296-7300.

Please vote to Renew this important Seattle Public Schools Capital Levy. The Capital Levy will make sure all students and teachers have a safe learning environment by retrofitting buildings for earthquake safety, improving fire alarms and school security systems, and making other critical safety investments.

 

The Capital Levy replaces an expiring capital levy and is dedicated to building safe and healthy learning places for our children. Many of our school buildings are over 50 years old and need renovation or replacement. Other schools are overcrowded with additional enrollment expected. The capital levy funds critical repairs and renovations across Seattle including construction, renovation, or replacement of eight schools and building system repairs and replacements and major preventive maintenance projects at 72 schools. The capital levy will reduce the use of portables and add nearly 2,000 new classroom seats so that students across the district have quality permanent learning environments.

 

“The Capital Levy will help our schools and students, and ensures equitable access to modern learning technology by providing up-to-date technology and computers across Seattle.” – Dan McGrady

 

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

This $1.4 billion Capital Levy costs twice the 2013 levy amount ($695 million). It will shrink playgrounds, create racially imbalanced enrollment at schools, and waste money.

 

The levy contains debt payments for a school headquarters building that you were never consulted about. It expands schools when city-wide enrollment dropped in 2018-2019.

 

The levy will continue the following recent problems: Wasteful spending: 2018 demolition of a 13-year-old $6.4 million building at Wing Luke Elementary. Shrinking school playgrounds: Loyal Heights Elementary, Thornton Creek, Hazel Wolf, Magnolia, Webster. Field lights used mostly for non-school rental by the City: Ballard, Cleveland, Eagle Staff, Franklin, Garfield, Roosevelt. Refusal to reopen Indian Heritage High School and African American Academy. Sidestepping laws that prohibit deliberate racial segregation: the Magnolia project violated the requirement to not “create or aggravate racial imbalance” so the District crossed out those words and fudged to say that the project “will minimize” racial imbalance (Resolution 2016/17-4).

 

Please vote “No”.

Vote to Renew the expiring Capital Levy to create safe and healthy schools for our kids. The Con statement is incorrect. Many schools are still adding seats due to the last enrollment jump when 5,000 students joined our district.

 

Projects were prioritized using equity criteria to ensure benefit to underserved populations. Safety and security systems are being updated at every school. Our students and teachers deserve safe learning environments. Vote Yes on Proposition 2.

 

Submitted by: Estela Ortega, Erin Okuno, Peter Maier, www.SchoolsFirstSeattle.org

For each of the projects noted above, people from the surrounding communities filed appeals. The School District refused to listen. Similarly, the Garfield auditorium was a special place where Martin Luther King Jr. once spoke. The District tore it out despite public protests and now asks that future such actions be exempt from review.

 

Something is wrong. Startle the District establishment. Please vote “No”.

 

Submitted by: Chris Jackins, Tracey Lake

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

For questions about this measure, contact: JoLynn Berge, Chief Financial Officer, 206-252-0087, jdberge@seattleschools.org

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