Voters in the North Beach School District will decide the outcome of the district’s Replacement Educational Programs and Operations Levy in the Feb. 11 special election.

“With voters’ approval, North Beach will have sufficient funding for the continuation of educational programs and operations not fully funded by the State of Washington,” said Superintendent Andrew Kelly.

Known as a replacement or continuation levy, the measure will fill the gap in the district’s funding when the current educational programs and operations levy expires at the end of 2020. This replacement level will collect $2,504,168 in 2021, and the same amount in 2022. The estimated tax rate is $1.35 per $1,000 of assessed property value for each tax year.

The current local levy has collected $1,900,742, per year for the past two years, with a tax rate of $1.31 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Nearly all Washington state school districts still need an educational programs and operations levy, despite the legislature’s changes to the school funding formula last year, said Kelly.

“State school funding is based on what the legislature has defined as ‘prototypical schools.’ All districts and superintendents in Washington acknowledge that this funding formula is insufficient to provide the programs and services our communities have come to expect in a well-rounded school program,” said Kelly.

School districts must still run local levies to pay for costs exceeding the state’s prototypical school funding formula in areas such as electricity and utility costs, insurance, textbooks, transportation outside of the regular school day, security, extra-curricular activities, food services, maintenance, special education and preschool programs, technology, field trips, extra-curricular sports; teacher salaries, professional support, professional development, and supplies.

Questions about the levy can be directed to akelly@northbeachschools.org or by calling 360-870-3321.

Exemptions from taxes may be available to certain homeowners. To determine if you qualify, call the Grays Harbor Assessor at 360-249-4121 or Pacific County Assessor at 360-875-9301.