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Seattle School District No. 1

Proposition No. 1

Replacement for Educational Programs and Operations Levy

The Board of Directors of Seattle School District passed Resolution No. 2024/25-3 concerning this proposition to maintain current educational funding. To continue high quality programs that are not state funded or fully funded, this authorizes the District to levy the following excess taxes replacing an expiring levy on all taxable property within the District:

 

Collection Years

Estimated Levy Rate/$1,000 Assessed Value

Levy Amount

2026

$0.78

$250,000,000

2027

$0.75

$249,000,000

2028

$0.72

$248,000,000

 

as provided in the Resolution, subject to legal limits at time of levy. Should this proposition be approved?

Yes

No


Seattle Public Schools requests voter approval of an operations levy of $747.0 million in the aggregate to be collected in the three-year period from 2026 to 2028. The proposed levy will replace an expiring levy.

 

Passage of Proposition No. 1 would allow the levy of taxes to pay for the education programs and operations and to meet the education needs of the students attending District schools. Funds will be used to fund programs that are not funded or not fully funded by the State. The money in and to be paid into the General Fund of the District is insufficient to meet those needs without additional funds.

 

Programs and services to be funded by the levy include, but are not limited to: teachers, instructional assistants, classified and administrative staff salaries; textbooks and classroom supplies; bilingual and special education services; student transportation, security, maintenance and other operations; student activities, such as arts, extra-curricular and co-curricular activities; professional development and training.

 

The total amount to be collected will be $250 million in 2026, $249 million in 2027 and $248 million in 2028. The estimated levy rates per $1,000 of assessed value will be $0.78 for 2026 collection; $0.75 for 2027 collection; and $0.72 for 2028 collection. The exact levy rates 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 renew this essential Seattle Public Schools Educational Programs and Operations Levy. Its passage is vital to providing a quality education to the nearly 50,000 students currently enrolled.

 

A great city must have great public schools. This levy benefits every school in every part of Seattle. It replaces our current levy and provides needed funding to pay for critical educational support such as STEM education, Career and Technical Education, school security staff, counselors, custodians, child nutrition programs, instructional materials and new curriculum, and Special Education services. If the Operations Levy is not renewed, the district will have to make deep cuts. Teachers and instructional assistants will be laid off, and valuable programs that support students will be cut back or eliminated.

 

“Here’s something positive we can All support to make our schools better, particularly helping fund our STEM and Career and Technical Education curriculums. Please vote to renew this levy! Without these resources it is hard to imagine how teachers can do their jobs. Thank you.” – Susie Clark, 6th grade Aki Kurose teacher.

 

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

    

Submitted by: Jorge L. Barón, Susie Clark, www.seattleschoolsfirst.org

No statement submitted.

Statements in favor of and in opposition to a ballot measure are submitted by committees appointed by the jurisdiction. No persons came forward to serve on the committee and to write a statement in opposition. If you would like to be involved with a committee in the future please contact the jurisdiction.

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

For questions about this measure, contact: Dr. Kurt Buttleman, Assistant Superintendent of Finance, (206) 252-0086, krbuttleman@seattleschools.org

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