Reminder: School levy ballots due in mail by Tuesday
A reminder that ballots are due in the mail by this Tuesday, Feb. 14 for the Edmonds School District Replacement Technology Capital Levy. You can also place your ballot in the 24-hour drop box located outside the Edmonds Library, 650 Main St. All ballots must be returned in the drop box by 8 p.m. on election day, Tuesday.
The replacement levy, in effect for four years if approved, is in the same amount as the existing technology and capital levy expiring this year. The projected rate per thousand dollars of property value is 44 cents, the same rate currently being collected. The replacement levy would provide an average of $7.85 million per year over the next four years, 2013 through 2016.
The capital portion of the levy would be used for priority roofing projects. In addition, the funds would pay for changes to pedestrian and traffic patterns at some schools to improve safety as students are dropped off and picked up.
Technology funds are needed to replace student and teacher computers, projectors and document presenters as the equipment ages. This funding would also provide professional development and IT support, replace aging office staff computers and pay annual license fees for systems like Skyward and SchoolWires. Finally, the money would be used to modernize servers and upgrade wireless systems.
More information about the levy can be found at the district’s website.
The first tech levy was very well thought out to not make the same mistakes others had made when implemwenting new class room technology. The first levy was more cost effective than other districts. This replacement levy will allow of the continued success of a well crafted plan.
While I recognize that technology in the schools is important, I was under the impression the last levy was a one time request. It seems to me that once money is provided the request never goes away. Our property taxes have continued to increase even though the valuation goes down and the majority of the tax is for voter approved school levies. Our taxes have gone from $1,800 a year to over $5,000 a year. Our income has not gone up the same percentage. In fact now that I was forced to retire, our income has decreased substancially. This “one time” levy hurts.
David:
The 2008 Technology/Capital Levy replaced the 2004 levy. There is a continuing need for those funds; for that reason the levies have never been presented as one-time events. Perhaps you are not aware that if this levy passes it will not cause any increase in your taxes.
Ron is correct and levies are likely to be a continuing way to fund school programs. Often these levies are “renewal” type levies because the law does not allow some types of levies to be a a continuous source of revenues. The good news is that the public gets to vote every few years to renew the funding. The bad news is the public gets to vote every few years to renew funding. Now that the State Supreme Court has upheld the law suit that says it is the states responsiblily to fund basic education that may change how we fund schools over time. Edmonds is very fortuniate to have the leadership team we have and a thoughtful board. I have seen some very good decisions about the use of public moneys that are giving us a good bang for the buck.
Yes our taxes seem to go up all the time and the impact seems to fall upon those who’s income may not have grown at the same rates. We have a tax system that uses property as a key source of revenues and property ownership and property values do not track well with a persons income over time.
I can understand Dave Hope’s position. People are watching while elected officials and city staffers and public employee unions continue to get increases in pay while the rest of us in the private sector see our wages go down – along with our house values. We’re caught in the middle.
However, sorry Dave on this one I’m going to vote for the kids. Although, I don’t have any kids of my own, I think if this country is going to be strong going forward our children need the best tools we can provide them to learn and make themselves ready to enter the modern work force of tomorrow.
Further, jobs in the future will require that young people improve their skill sets and seek continued education even after they get out school. Learning in the new world will never stop.
As long as taxes don’t increase and just stay the same, we should do this. It is absolutely critical that our children get a world class education and we should all hope those in charge continue to make that effort. Let’s give them the tools to do.