Separately from current budget crisis, Seattle Public Schools plans to ask voters to approve $2.4 billion in levies

Even while dealing with an immediate budget shortfall that might lead to school closures, Seattle Public Schools is moving ahead with renewal/expansion plans for two levies, the operations levy and the capital levy (BEX). The recommendations for both are currently scheduled to go before the School Board next week, at its October 9 meeting, and some information already is available via the early version of the meeting agenda. They are both proposed to go to voters next February.

The biggest of the two is the six-year BEX VI capital levy, proposed for $1.8 billion, up from the $1.4 billion voters approved in 2018 in its predecessor BEX V. This one includes many projects around the district; the biggest in our area would be a $50 million addition for Chief Sealth International High School, described only as “CTE addition” (Career and Technical Education). The board resolution also mentions smaller local projects including $1 million for fire-alarm work at Highland Park Elementary and athletic-field work at district-owned Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex and Denny International Middle School. (The spending breakout starts on page 7 of the resolution.)

We haven’t yet found documents with full details on these projects; the process leading up to this list has included a lot less public involvement than the previous capital levies. BEX V, in comparison – the levy that funded the Alki Elementary rebuild and West Seattle Elementary expansion, among other things – had myriad public planning meetings, WSB archives show.

As for the Educational Programs and Operations levy, it’s proposed for $673 million over three years; the one that’s expiring raised $646 million. The text of this resolution has not yet been added to the board agenda. The page for the current EPO levy says it provides funding for some staff, support programs, athletics, and the arts. That page also noted, “Local levies, which must be approved by Seattle voters, provide 15% of the SPS operating budget.” We’ll be following up with the district for more information before the board meeting.

P.S. The board has a special online meeting tomorrow to consider extending superintendent Dr. Brent Jones‘s contract.

David September 30, 2024 (11:20 pm)

How about, NO!

Anne October 1, 2024 (7:18 am)

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Ha! I’m with you David but Seattle has rarely met a levy it didn’t approve.With the specter of school closures -these will be no different.

Not Fooled October 1, 2024 (5:15 am)

The fake threat to close schools worked like a charm. They baited the water and got the response they were hoping for. Said oh ya we can definitely squeeze some more money out of these people. Vote NO!!!

Moi October 1, 2024 (6:19 am)

Puh-leeze!

Wseattlite October 1, 2024 (6:27 am)

People keep saying there are multiple funding sources for schools, light rail, transportation, etc. News flash. The single funding source for all are the citizens. Time to identify priorities, or give up on the notion that Seattle should be affordable for everyone.

anonyme October 1, 2024 (6:33 am)

This follows what has become a familiar pattern for levy seekers: cut services while simultaneously demanding more money. I’m with David: NO.

Wes October 1, 2024 (7:04 am)

I tend to agree with the NO stance on this. There was a report that the superintendent was asking for a salary increase too. There is way to many admin down at Lander, and they need to cut there first, not at the school level. SPS is a poorly run org, and it’s the locals and the teachers that matter. Until they learn to be fiscally responsible, I don’t want to give them money.

DoneWithTaxBumps October 1, 2024 (7:09 am)

100% will vote NO.

Rusty October 1, 2024 (7:50 am)

This budget shortfall is not the voters fault.

arlanon October 1, 2024 (8:41 am)

In the meantime, “The salary increase that’s on the table for SPS Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones is around $25,000, which would bring his overall salary to
$390,940 – a 6.7% increase (King 5 News). The school board is voting on that today! People on fixed incomes are already experiencing the burdens of sky-rocketing car and home insurance in addition to the yearly increases in property taxes because of these continuing levies. This is unsustainable for many Seattle citizens. How can they even consider increasing the Superintendent’s salary of $390,940 …”as the district also grapples with a plan to close schools to solve a nearly $100 million budget deficit”? And going to struggling citizens to pay more of the costs for Seattle schools needs to end.

Bbron October 1, 2024 (12:41 pm)

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the reason property taxes are increasing so much is because the taxable value of homes is skyrocketing. if the market wasn’t so inflated (and there were more homes available and increased density) homes wouldn’t be assessed so high. pick any parcel on the KC parcel viewer and you’ll see 100s of thousands of additional dollars in taxable value added over only a few years without any modifications to the property. y’all gnash your teeth at levies, but ignore that you hold an asset that is getting more and more valuable. it ain’t the levies…

Steph October 1, 2024 (8:43 am)

NO, NO, NO!! Just stop these bloated projects now! Seattle Schools have proven they are not capable financial managers of our tax dollars.

Jim October 1, 2024 (9:29 am)

A large portion of property taxes already funds schools! It’s time to say enough.

platypus October 1, 2024 (12:28 pm)

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You are correct Jim, our regressive tax code has very few options. This is another reason why we need an income tax and a Land Value Tax. But our students are a priority and can’t wait for us to figure out a better tax structure.

WS98 October 1, 2024 (10:04 am)

Absolutely NO to a $25K increase for SPS Superintendent, this has no business being on the table while schools and jobs are on the chopping block. Absolutely YES to increasing taxes for profitable corporations so they resume critical contributions to national and state infrastructure that includes education. Please write to your representatives to let them know this needs to happen.

Alex October 1, 2024 (10:44 am)

Remember the big property tax increase as a result of the Cleary decision circa 2016 that the state must properly fund schools? Seattle Schools still want more money with the local levies and I’m sure they will get it – the majority of Seattle voters like levies and don’t mind paying more in property taxes. Supposedly some 50% of households in Seattle are rentals and don’t see the annual postcard announcing taxes are going up. One has to wonder if voter behavior would change if there was an ordinance requiring landlords to estimate the landlord’s tax increase and give advance notice of the amount to be passed on at lease renewal.

hi October 1, 2024 (11:36 am)

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A lot of the big property tax increase that we pay around here as a result of the McCleary decision goes to fund schools in Moses Lake and the like. Cheaper rural areas actually saw taxes decrease as a result of the decision. So it’s not like SPS is hoarding all this McCleary money.
Bbron October 1, 2024 (12:28 pm)

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property taxes are passed onto renters. landlords always make profit, so renters are paying property taxes. no sure of where in the US a landlord ends up taking a loss due to property tax increases.
Bbron October 1, 2024 (12:53 pm)

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The levy rate in Seattle in 2015 was between 9.27433 and 12.27115(source), and in 2016 they were between 9.48564 and 12.45196 (source); a 0.21131 increase on the low end and a 0.18081 increase on the high end, so e.g. if you had a $1 million house (assessed as such both years) you’d be paying at most $211 more / yr. Not only that, but levy rates went down a whole 1 point going from 2014 to 2015 (source). Wild still, is that the levy rate IS LOWER NOW than it was in 2016 (between 8.11890 and 10.34167, source). Additionally the senior rate (fixed income folks) has dropped dramatically! from around 7 in 2016 to 4.7 ish now. Y’all need to have numbers to back up that it’s the levies fault; it’s obviously all on the market’s prices.
- Bbron October 1, 2024 (3:00 pm)
  
  Reply
  
  this was meant to be a reply to Arlanon above

Neighbor October 1, 2024 (11:05 am)

Is there a summary somewhere of how the previous levy was spent and how those projects went? Incrementally the cost is not as bad as it sounds.

Steve McQueen October 1, 2024 (11:20 am)

My daughter is having to deal with the fact that her new highschool physics teacher at Roosevelt Highschool is grossly incompetent.Until I don’t have to spend my weekends teaching my daughter physics, I’ll be voting no on all levies.

WS Res October 1, 2024 (6:40 pm)

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“The school system has not been able to offer enough salary/benefits to attract a top-quality teacher, so I don’t want to fund them” is really… a take.

Jill October 1, 2024 (12:01 pm)

I’ve started a newsletter where I write about SPS issues, often satirically. Dropping this here in case anyone is interested in reading: School Board members horrified as they realize, months after approving closure proposal, that 20 schools might close (satire)

https://open.substack.com/pub/jilloconnor/p/school-board-members-horrified-as

Whisky Woods October 1, 2024 (3:27 pm)

SPS want’s $ 2.4 BILLION
SDOT want’s $1.55 BILLION
City of Seattle is $250 million in the hole
King County is $100 million in the hole
Hope everyone enjoys what they voted for, lol

K October 1, 2024 (6:08 pm)

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And yet no one ever takes issue with the increasing bloat in Police budgets, or asks them to be fiscally responsible with the money they’re given. Or to show any kind of results for the increased expenditure. Nope, solve rates can remain low, response times can remain high, and the answer is always to just give them more and more, even when they have a budget surplus.
Josh October 1, 2024 (8:08 pm)

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* and Sound Transit increased to $7 Billion.

West Seattle Resident October 1, 2024 (5:02 pm)

A retired teacher here. I do not vote for levies after decades of watching lack of transparency, misuse of funds with smoke & mirrors. How about equipping all schools with security, swipe cards for staff, and cameras. Our superintendent claims to have made schools safe yet it is not true.

Millie October 1, 2024 (9:57 pm)

Glad others have noticed – previously the City, County and School District were happy asking for MILLIONS of dollars in their levy requests. Now it is BILLIONS! And yet we see so little accomplished. Not every Seattle/County resident is a millionaire or earns $500,000+ annually. At some point the adage “you can’t get blood from a turnip” will be true! I no longer vote for levies. As an aside – please stop blaming the police for every problem in society.

Anon October 2, 2024 (6:38 am)

Thank you for reporting that they haven’t put out any planning meetings. Their lack of transparency is the biggest problem. Look at the last Bex V. They chose to expand schools and renovate schools that didn’t even have an increase in population…they actually decreased! Meanwhile, we Madison middle school exploded in population and they needed a completely different fund to expand that school. WS high school is bursting at the seams. Lafayette is too, but for some reason closing Lafayette and adding portables to WS high school seems to be enough for them. They need to present their planning and information to the public. Don’t trust them. They have made so many mistakes with mismanagement.