CHENEY, Wash. — This election season, Cheney voters will decide whether to approve two replacement levies aimed at supporting existing school programs, services, technology, security and infrastructure.
Individually, the levies will increase from their current rates. However, the district notes that people will pay less overall as existing bond payments decrease.
“It is a conscious effort to try to keep our costs as low as possible and still offer the programs that we’re able to offer,” Cheney Public Schools Superintendent Ben Ferney said.
The educational programs and operations levy would increase from $2.07 to $2.10 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The levy helps fund extracurricular activities, support staff and other programs not fully covered by state funding.
“It’s critically important because our role is to prepare students for their future, and that future is done through offering them different programs, and those programs are our people,” Ferney said. “So, critically important for our school district.”
A separate levy for technology, security and infrastructure would increase from 9 cents to an average of 15 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.
For a home valued at $400,000, the two levies would cost about $900 annually.
Cheney Public Schools says local levy dollars account for about 18% of its funding.
If voters reject the levies, the district says it would need to consider cuts to services and programs.
“We don’t like to think about when it doesn’t pass,” Ferney said. “So we’d have to really take a hard look at, ‘What are we gonna do?’”
The Spokane County voter’s guide says it could not find anyone to write an “against” statement for either levy.
If voters approve the measures, the new tax rates would begin in 2028 and continue for three years.
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