Levy Quick Facts
- The February 6, 2007 maintenance and operations levy is a replacement levy, not a new tax. It replaces the current two-year levy which expires at the end of 2007 and will maintain levy funding for the Port Angeles School District for four years through 2011.
- Public school districts in Washington State receive the majority of their annual operating funds from the state. However, the legislature only provides approximately 69% of what it costs to provide a child’s public education. The balance of the money needed is expected to come from the federal government, grants and local levies.
- After the school board sets a levy amount, and voters approve a levy request, it becomes the maximum that can be collected. Taxes collected by the school district do not increase after they are set in place, regardless of changes in assessed property value. In fact, as the tax base increases, the tax rate to collect the dollars authorized by voters is reduced.
- A school maintenance and operations levy is the local community’s share of the cost of providing a quality education for its children. Since the state provides only 69% of the total cost, the legislature authorizes maintenance and operations levy requests for up to 24% of a district’s budget. In Port Angeles, the levy currently provides about 17% of the total district budget.
- The levy rate is calculated from the total assessed valuation of all the real property within the district boundaries.
- The levy helps support additional staffing, instructional materials, staff development, student transportation, athletics, music programs and student activities, equipment, information systems, vocational education, special education and maintenance.
- The existing 2007 rate is $2.25 per $1,000 valuation, 73 cents less than the $2.98 estimated during the May 17, 2005 election. The 2006 rate is $2.76 per $1,000 valuation, 22 cents less than the $2.98 estimated during the May 17, 2005 election. The estimated tax rate for the new levy is $2.38 for 2008, $2.27 for 2009, $2.05 for 2010, and $1.89 for 2011. Actual tax rates are set by the county and may be lower. Historically, the actual rate has been lower than the estimated rate.
- An exemption is available for qualifying seniors and low-income homeowners. Those interested should contact the County Assessor’s office by phone at 360.417.2000 or email: assessor@co.clallam.wa.us.
- School levies positively impact everyone in the community, whether you have children in school or not. Levy dollars remain in our community helping with economic stability and prosperity. Businesses and health professionals who consider relocation to our area consistently say that the quality of our schools is a critical part of the quality of life that attracts them to Port Angeles.
- Voters have supported a Port Angeles School District maintenance and operations levy since 1969.
Updated 1/29/07.
Levy questions, comments and suggestions may be sent via email to: levy@portangelesschools.org, or by U.S. Mail to: Superintendent, Port Angeles School District, 216 East Fourth Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362.
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