SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — Next month, voters in the Central Valley School District will decide whether to renew a school levy that funds things including extracurricular activities, sports, support staff and special education services.
People currently pay $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed home value. For a homeowner with a $400,000 house, that translates to approximately $1,000 per year. If the levy passes, they would keep paying that rate.
When voters last passed this levy several years ago, the estimated rate was $2.40. That rate ultimately increased to $2.50 due to changes in property values.
$2.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value is the maximum amount school districts can charge under state law.
Superintendent John Parker said levy dollars make up 16% of the district’s budget and that the funds are necessary to maintain existing services and programs.
“This is a statement of community values, and it’s a statement about supporting our kids, their academics, their learning and all of that,” Parker said.
The levy, Parker said, funds 300 jobs in the district. If the levy fails, he said those jobs could be up for consideration for cuts.
Not everyone supports the levy. Curt Noble, a parent with three children in the district, said he supports funding for schools but opposes this specific measure.
In the 2016-17 school year, the district’s total budget was over $153 million, and student enrollment sat at 13,430, according to data from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. This year, the district’s budget is $286.5 million, and 14,140 students are enrolled.
Noble believes the district’s budget has grown at a rate that’s disproportional to student enrollment. He argues the district should reduce spending rather than seek maximum allowable funding.
“I just kind of wonder ‘Do we really need more money?'” Noble said. “Or maybe we can just shrink our belts a little bit, practice the fiscal responsibility that the school board promised.”
Parker countered that even when enrollment remains relatively stable, the district still needs additional funding to keep pace with inflation and provide expanded services to students.
If voters approve the levy, the new tax rates would take effect in 2028 and continue for three years.
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