The Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce on Dec. 15. endorsed renewing two Seattle Public Schools levies, the Buildings, Technology, and Academics/Athletics (BTA) capital levy and the Educational Programs and Operations (EP & O) levy.
Both levies will appear on the February 8, 2022, ballot and are set to expire in 2022.
The levies are both true renewals, not expansions, and levy funding is critical to keep Seattle Public Schools’ budget whole. Notably levies comprise 15% of Seattle Public Schools’ total budget.
- The capital levy pays for regular maintenance, like boilers and plumbing. It also funds a large portion of the school district’s technology budget, which became especially critical during the pandemic. The capital levy would also fund needed safety improvements, including upgrades at Memorial Stadium, athletic infrastructure investments like replacing field turf and repaving the tennis court at Rainier Beach High School, and fund $12 million in clean energy improvements.
- The programs and operations levy pays for gaps in state funding for special education, nurses, and career and technical education.
Given inadequate state funding for schools, Seattle Public Schools and other school districts throughout the state are reliant on levy funding. The Chamber has endorsed these levies going back to at least 2006, endorsing both, and again in 2013.
The capital levy would raise $783 million over six years (collected from 2023- 2028). It would cost 47 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value in Seattle, 4 cents higher than the 43 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value approved in 2016.
The programs and operations levy would raise $646.8 million over three years (collected from 2023-2025). It would cost approximately 75 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, reduced from $1.05 per $1,000 of assessed property value that was approved in 2019.
To learn more about the levies, click here. To get involved with the Schools First campaign or to donate, click here.
