Replacement School Levy On February Ballot

Posted

The Peninsula School District will ask voters for an educational programs and operations levy in a special election Feb. 11, to replace an expiring levy from 2016.

If approved, Proposition 1 will “provide funding for programs, athletics and extracurricular activities, safety and security, professional development for staff, and preventative routine maintenance projects,” according to PSD.

The capital bond approved by voters last February can only be used for construction. The levy maintains funding beyond what Washington state provides for basic education, which is approximately 82 percent of the district budget according to PSD. The levy funds the remaining 18 percent.

PSD will open a new elementary school called Pioneer in Gig Harbor next fall and is planning to begin rebuilding Evergreen and Artondale Elementary schools, the two oldest in the district, in the spring. A fourth elementary school known as No. 9 will be built in north Gig Harbor.

The proposed new property tax rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value is lower than the existing rate of $2.16 per $1,000, raising approximately $25,140,000 in 2021 and up to $28,225,000 by 2023.

Low-income seniors and individuals with disabilities may qualify for exemption for property taxes.

Ballots will be mailed Jan. 24. Ballots are due Feb. 11.

For more information, go to the county assessor’s website at www.co.pierce.wa.us


UNDERWRITTEN BY NEWSMATCH/MIAMI FOUNDATION, THE ANGEL GUILD, ROTARY CLUB OF GIG HARBOR, ADVERTISERS, DONORS AND PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT LOCAL, INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT NEWS