 2002
M & O Levy
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Maintenance
and Operations Replacement Levy Passes
The
White Salmon Valley School District asked voters to approve a two-year replacement
levy on February 5th, 2002, and they did!
Thank you,
White Salmon Voters, for your support!
At the December 20,
2001, school board meeting, the board of directors approved the Special
Election replacement maintenance and operations levy in the amount of
$1,240,000. This amount represents a $100,000 increase over the current
two-year levy. However, despite the increased levy amount (the smallest
incremental increase in the last 10 years) the overall tax rate per thousand
dollars of assessed property valuation will actually go down. (See
comparison chart.)
Additional information
about the levy can be found below, or by calling the district office at
(509) 493-1500.
Common
questions about the Levy
What is a Maintenance and Operations (M & O) Levy?
A Maintenance
and Operations (M & O) Levy provides a school district with funds
to bridge the difference between the money it receives from the state
and the actual cost of operating its schools. At the end of each year,
the levy expires and is replaced by the next year's levy. Our district
has typically sought approval of levy funding from the voters every two
years. The current levy, passed in May, 2000, expires in December 2002.
The February 5 levy would replace it, beginning in the spring of 2003.
Back
to Questions
Why
does the district need a levy?
As state
support for school operations shrinks, and as costs for providing essential
services and programs rise, the importance of local support for schools
becomes even greater. Currently, allocations from the state for school
funding meet only 84% of our district's budget, leaving 16 %, or approximately
one-sixth (1/6) of the budget to the local district. Without levy funding,
our district would fall far short of the funding needed to maintain our
current programs.
Back
to Questions
Why
can't the district use the transportation facility money it has received
from the state for its maintenance and operations?
Work is finally
finishing up on the new transporation / maintenance center, made possible
by a bond approved by voters in 1998. Reimbursement to the district from
the state will soon become available for much of the cost of the project,
but that money cannot be made available for school operational costs.
As a voter approved bond, money can only be used for capital improvement
projects. Under law it may not be used for the needs that the levy seeks
to meet.
Back
to Questions
Where
does levy money go?
Levy funds
help pay for some of the fundamental tools of our strong educational program,
including staffing, teaching supplies, textbooks, library books, and extracurricular
programs. Additionally, they help cover the costs of increases in utilities,
services, and transportation particular to our rural area. (See
levy funding chart).
Although levy funds help meet a number of educational needs, 72.2% of
the funds are dedicated to used directly in the classrooms, the highest
in the State of Washington for like-sized schools.
Back
to Questions
What
happens if a levy doesn't pass?
Because the
district cannot function at acceptable levels solely on the funding provided
by the state, a second levy would have to be offered later in the year.
In the meantime, we run the risk of losing $282,000 of levy equalization
money from the state. Most damaging perhaps would be the need to curtail,
at least temporarily, many of our district's most successful programs
and activities, halting their forward progress at a time when student
gains in education are most critical.
Back
to Questions
Why
is passing the levy important to me if I don't have any kids in school?
A community's
schools benefit more than just the students who attend them and the parents
who send them there. Strong schools create environments for young people
to learn and grow, and to become valuable, contributing members of their
community throughout their lives. Investing in the future of children
through support of their schools creates lasting rewards for the whole
community. Whether you have kids in classes or not, you and the entire
community benefit from a strong school system. And an investment in the
children of today, in the workers, citizens, and leaders of tomorrow,
is an investment that is important to everyone.
Back
to Questions
Why
are tax rates decreasing if the levy amount has been raised?
Interest
earnings, State Forest receipts, and reduced bond payments in 2003 allow
us to collect fewer taxes to service the bond debt. By reducing the portion
of school taxes required to service the bond debt, the overall tax paid
per thousand dollars of assessed property valuation will decrease from
the current rate by approximately 35 cents in the first year and approximately
63 cents in the second year.
Back
to Questions
What
will this levy cost me?
It's impossible
to perfectly predict what the school taxes will be on a particular piece
of property in the future; changing assessments and new construction continually
change the size of the county's base assessment value, which in turn determines
the total levy amount paid per $1,000 of assessed value to generate the
total levy amount. However, the proposed replacement levy will cost property
owners approximately $2.55 per $1,000 assessed value for 2003-2004, and
$2.32 per $1,000 for 2004-2005. This, coupled with lowered bond rates
for the same time period, results in a significant decrease in
the amount of tax paid per $1,000 of assessed value.
Back
to Questions
Where do I vote?
Polls were
open at the following locations from 7 AM to 8 PM on Tuesday, February
5, 2002.
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Husum -
BZ
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Husum Church
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Mt. Brook
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Henkle Middle
School Library
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Bingen
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Bingen City
Hall
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Fruit Valley
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Henkle Middle
School Library
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White Salmon
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Masonic
Hall
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Underwood
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Underwood
Community Center
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Back
to Questions
What are the Total School Tax Rates?
The graph above shows a comparison of school tax per thousand dollars
of assessed value. Rates shown for 1999-2001 are actual rates; 2002
are estimated rates under the current levy. 2003 and 2004 are projected
under the proposed replacement levy. For comparison, while the owner
of a $150,000 home paid $519 in levy and bond taxes in 2001, the owner
of a $150,000 home will only pay a projected $467 in 2003, and even
less ($423) in 2004.
*2002 - 2004 rates can only be estimated at this time, as the county
base assessment value changes over time; however, based on past experience,
the rate per $1,000 may go down further because of new construction
which increases the county base assessment value.
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to Top
Where Does
the Levy Money Go?
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Over 72%
of the levy will be used directly in the classrooms. That's the
highest percentage for like-sized schools in Washington State.
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Back
to Questions
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White
Salmon Valley SchoolDistrict 405-17
PO Box 157
White Salmon, WA 98672
(509) 493-1500
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Efforts are made to ensure the information on this page is complete, current, and accurate. However, changes in programs and policies do occur. Questions about specific information on this site should be directed to the district office or to the appropriate school. Original materials on this page copyright White Salmon Valley School District,
and may not be duplicated without permission. Please contact
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