(The Center Square) – On Nov. 5, voters will submit ballots on who should serve as the next president, governor and county commissioner, among other offices, but also where their tax dollars go.
After several Spokane school districts failed to pass bonds in February, the West Valley School District is back asking voters to pass an $11.8 million capital levy. Failure to do so could result in a larger bond request in the future.
When WVSD’s $92 million bond failed to reach the required 60% approval last February, district officials pivoted toward a capital levy. The district hadn’t pushed for a new levy in almost two decades, but Superintendent Kyle Rydell said rising inflation and taxes were the deciding factor.
The district’s current capital levy expires at the end of the year, but Rydell said WVSD is only asking voters to approve a replacement due to the bond’s failure. The levy is far smaller in terms of cost and extent of projects but covers much-needed maintenance in the interim of a bond.
“Safety, security cameras, parking lots, parent pickup/drop off zones, roof replacement at the high school,” Rydell said, “and then we’ve got some heating/ventilation equipment that are at our secondary buildings that has to be kind of repaired because we put it on hold thinking our bond would pass.”
While WVSD touts a higher enrollment than other nearby districts, it’s still small compared to others across the state and Spokane. The district serves about 3,400 students across, while the neighboring Spokane Public Schools touts nearly 30,000 students.
Rydell said his students’ needs differ from SPS’s, which is supported by far more taxpayers. If the capital levy fails, it’d limit the opportunities afforded to others and progress on projects that can’t wait, such as a roof replacement and safety and security improvements.
If passed, the levy would cost taxpayers roughly $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value. Rydell said this would come out to about $31 monthly or $370 each year for a home with a median assessed value of $370,000.
The current capital levy rate is $1.26, which has decreased since voters approved it at $1.45 in 2021. This replacement would lower the cost to taxpayers by 26 cents. When combining the new rate with the district’s Educational Programs and Operations Levy, property owners would pay about $3.50 for every $1,000 of assessed value, not including other property tax lines.
If voters reject the replacement levy, it will reduce the current total rate of $3.76 down to $2.50, about a 33% drop. Cutting the rate altogether is the cheapest option for taxpayers, but Rydell said it would ultimately result in a larger bond request three or four years from now.
“If you don’t do it now, two years down the road, it’s going to cost you five to 10 to 11% more than if you tackle those projects now,” he said. “I just think it’s that understanding that you know, a great community has great schools, a great district has a great community.”
Rydell noted that the district may opt for loans to cover the most pertinent projects if the levy fails. He explained that this would mean less funding is available to support things like classified staff and bus drivers, as the loan payments would originate from the General Fund.
If voters approve the levy, Rydell said it could mitigate the need for loans and lower the cost of a future bond proposal.
