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Q: What's the difference between a bond and levy?
Bonds are a responsible and fiscally sound way to fund long-term investments like schools, ensuring students have a safe place to learn. School Districts seek voter approval for selling bonds, which allow the district to collect funding up front for major construction of school buildings. Then the bonds are paid off over 20 years. Of our 34 school campuses, 15 were built more than 50 years ago and haven’t been replaced. Bonds help us make sure all students have access to modern and safe school buildings. This bond would build five new schools.
Levies fund short-term investments that contribute to day-to-day needs for students and schools. They also fill critical gaps in state funding. Property owners are assessed a levy rate over the four years of the levy, and then the levy expires. For Edmonds, the Replacement Technology/Capital Levy would continue funding for computers and technology for students, staff and schools.
Q: What are the bond and levy amounts?
Proposition 1, the School Construction Bond, is valued at $594 million.
Proposition 2, the Replacement Technology/Capital Levy, is valued at $120 million.
Q: What do the bond and levy pay for?
Proposition 1, if approved,replaces aging facilities; improves safety and security; maintains buildings, assets, and athletic fields; and builds future capacity. Specifically, it would rebuild Oak Heights Elementary School (1967), College Place Elementary School (1969), College Place Middle School (1970), Westgate Elementary (1958), and add a new, fifth middle school at the former Alderwood Middle School campus (to accommodate the transition of sixth grade to middle school by the 2028-29 school year), as well as fund safety and building improvements across the district.
Proposition 2, if approved, would continue critical funding for students, staff and schools to ensure they have the equipment and technological infrastructure needed to support learning.
Q: Don’t we already spend enough on education? Is there any data that suggests more spending leads to better outcomes?
Data suggests that spending more on students and schools does in fact have a material impact on student and school outcomes. See NBER study here, and AEA study here.
Q: Isn’t the state responsible for funding capital improvements and technology?
No. The Washington State Supreme Court reconfirmed last year that funding for capital projects is not part of the state legislature’s constitutional mandate. As a result of this long-standing position, the state does not fund the construction to replace aging schools or build new schools. School districts must provide the majority of funding through voter-approved bonds or levies.
Q: What does this mean for my taxes?
The best source of information regarding the financial elements of both funding measures is the school district's webpage dedicated to the levy and bond.
Our summary of that data would suggest that beginning next year a property owner can expect to see a $.03 increase to the property tax rate per $1,000 assessed value. This $.03 increase in rate is directly tied to the decrease in assessed property valuation; the increase is not caused by these two funding measures. Stated differently, the property tax rate next year will increase by $.03 whether or not these funding measures are approved.
What does a $.03 increase in the rate mean in real numbers? A property with an assessed value of $750,000 today would see a $22.50 increase to its annual property tax.
Keep in mind that the Edmonds School District has one of the lowest tax rates in our region, and the district is only asking for what it needs to maintain technology funding and replace some of our most outdated schools. The two measures maintain a stable tax rate.
Q: If approved, Proposition 1 would add a new, fifth middle school as part of a plan to move 6th grade to middle school by the 2028-29 school year. Why is 6th grade being moved to middle school?
That is correct. If approved, Proposition 1 will help our district shift 6th grade to create three-year (instead of two-year) middle schools, which are more standard across our region. The change would take effect in the 2028-29 school year - today’s 1st graders would be the first cohort at the three-year middle schools.
We’re the only school district in our region where 6th graders are still attending elementary school. Northshore, Everett, Shoreline, Seattle, Bellevue, and South Whidbey School Districts (as well as others) include 6th grade as part of their middle school programming.
Here’s why it’s important to do so:
First, middle school teachers have specific endorsements to teach specific content. They are subject-matter experts. A 6th grader attending middle school receives Math instruction from a math teacher, English from an English teacher, Science from a science teacher, etc.
Second, middle schoolers have access to science labs. Elementary students don’t, meaning that 6th graders in districts around us are getting access to labs while our 6th graders are not, putting them at a competitive disadvantage.
Third, a three-year middle school experience provides more continuity for both students and parents. It’s hard to build authentic relationships and school culture in the current, two-year, 7/8 middle school configuration.
Fourth, learning standards are written K-5, 6-8, and 9-12.
Moreover,a family with a 6th grader that moves a couple of blocks north from Shoreline to Edmonds would need to move their child from middle school back to elementary school under the current programmatic configuration. That can both be discouraging to the student and create a disincentive for the family to enroll in Edmonds Public Schools.
Q: Aren't we seeing a decline in student enrollment due to lower birth rates? How can you justify building new schools?
While nationally we have observed a decline in school enrollment due to lower birth rates, that decline is most pronounced in urban cores. Further, the enrollment decline was temporarily accelerated due to COVID.
But there is reason for optimism in the future.
With the shift to a hybrid workplace environment in many industries, there is a growing trend of individuals moving out of urban cores in favor of less-expensive suburban housing.
In our district’s geographic footprint alone, our resident population has increased from ~104,000 registered voters in 2020, to ~109,000 in 2022. In the city of Edmonds, for example, Snohomish County predicts a population increase of 14,000 new residents in the next 20 years.
Data shows that 70-80% of the children living within our district footprint end up attending our public schools. And data also shows that new and modern school facilities attract and retain students and families in our schools.
Q: How do I vote in this election?
Ballots are due by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, February 13, 2024.
