Voters in the Kent School District will begin receiving ballots in the mail asking them to approve the district’s 2010 maintenance and operations levy, which makes up approximately 20 percent of the district’s budget.
The Kent School Board in November approved the final levy numbers which, if approved will collect $56 million in 2010 and increase by about $3 million per year, ending at $64 million in 2013.
The approximate levy rates for the proposed measure are: $3.16 per $1,000 assessed value in 2010, $3.28 per $1,000 in 2011, $3.30 per $1,000 in 2012 and $3.28 per $1,000 in 2013.
The district is stressing that the levy is a replacement of the one approved by voters in 2006 and does not include any new taxes.
“We’ve structured this to keep taxes even,” said Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Fred High. “This is not a new tax. We’re asking people to renew the support they’ve already provided.”
High said the levy amount and estimated tax rate is low in the first year because of low assessed valuation of the district, which High said is expected to begin to rise in 2012.
“We knew the community has economic issues,” High said. “We didn’t feel is was appropriate to seek an increase in taxes.”
In the Kent School District, levy funding makes up one-fifth of the district’s budget.
District officials said the levy makes up the shortfall between state funding and what is needed in the district.
“Our district has to pick up a lot of stuff not paid for by the state,” Communications Director Becky Hanks said.
According to the district, failure to pass the levy would affect transportation services, supplies, athletics, music and drama, safety officers and class size.
“One hundred percent of the funding for athletics and activities comes from levy support,” said Dave Lutes, Director of Athletics and Activities, adding that all coaches salaries and stipends are paid through the levy.
Levy funding also pays for approximately one in every five staff positions in the district, including teachers to reduce class size at the elementary school level.
“It affects every student in every classroom,” Hanks said.
Levy failure would also affect the teacher contract approved in September following the strike. Language in the contract makes some of the class size provisions contingent on levy passage.
State law stipulates that the district may only provide facts regarding the levy and not advocate for its passage, but a community group called Citizens For Kent Schools is promoting its passage.
Kent City Councilmember Dennis Higgins is the group’s chair and paints a dire picture of what could happen if the levy fails.
“Go into any building in the district and pick any five teachers and if this doesn’t pass, pick the one you want to get rid of,” he said. “I’m not willing to do that.
Higgins said his group is calling community members form a phone back two nights each week.
“They’re not asking for the moon here,” Higgins said. “These are basic services the school district provides.”
The levy requires a simple majority for passage and if it fails, the district will have one opportunity to run the propositions again before having to make cuts in the budget totally 20 percent.
“We depend on the levy to provide the current level of quality and service,” Superintendent Dr. Edward Lee Vargas said.
For more information on the levy visit the school’s Web site.
For more information on Citizens for Kent Schools and their efforts visit citizensforkentschools.org To volunteer, call Dennis Higgins at 253-508-999.
Proposition 1 (Maintenance and Operation Levy)
• Levy year
2010
collected year
2011
estimated levy rate
per $1,000 assessed value
$3.16
levy amount
56,100,000
•Levy year
2011
collected year
2012
estimated levy rate
per $1,000 assessed value
$3.28
levy amount
59,500,000
•Levy year
2012
collected year
2013
estimated levy rate
per $1,000 assessed value
$3.30
levy amount
62,000,000
•Levy year
2013
collected year
2014
estimated levy rate
per $1,000 assessed value
$3.28
levy amount
64,000,000
