School levies are increasing. Here’s why we pay on top of state funds | Opinion
School levies around the region appear poised to pass, including in Tacoma. Two propositions that would provide millions of dollars in funding each had two thirds or more of the vote as of Tuesday night.
Phew. These were replacement levies, so failed propositions would have stopped the flow of vital local funds to Tacoma Public Schools. That would have created a hole in the districts’ resources much larger than the $30 million shortfall it had to resolve in its last budget.
That being said, the levies do more than keep the same property taxes in place. The fees assessed are going up, with the school district estimating an average increase of $47.45 per month for property owners.
That’s a generous increase that the school district will have to demonstrate it can spend wisely. Pushback on program and teacher cuts in the last budget cycle, which are still reverberating today, mean the community already has a heightened awareness of how the district is spending its funds.
The higher tax revenues won’t come in until 2027. Fair or not, the pressure is on now.
Voters are willing to pay beyond the baseline
Higher taxes are no more popular than usual right now, as the pain of higher prices continues to hit pocketbooks. But the levies enjoyed widespread community support. In Tacoma, the teacher’s union endorsed the levies and the local chamber of commerce had a co-chair on the campaign. No one formally opposed them.
A seal of approval from the Tacoma Pierce Chamber of Commerce is no small achievement for a property tax. Tom Pierson, the chamber’s interim president and CEO and its representative on the levy campaign, told the News Tribune’s editorial board that education is crucial for workforce development.
He called the levies a foundation to a robust business community.
Stronger schools “build strong neighborhoods, and empower a strong workforce,” Pierson said, “And that in turn ignites strong, thriving businesses throughout our community.”
So if the business community and voters support the levies, I’d say Tacomans are ready and willing to pay for a school system that goes beyond the bare-minimum funding provided by the state.
Tacoma school levies will increase
It’s not hard to see why the school district has asked for an average of more than $550 per year from local property owners. It has structural budget deficits that led to that $30 million gap last year, and that problem won’t go away by itself.
State education funding has grown in Tacoma Public Schools and other local school districts, but as The News Tribune reported last week, costs have gone up too. Many costs these ballot measures pay for fit solidly in the category of Things Hit By Inflation. That includes building maintenance and repair and utilities like electricity and internet, as well as laptops and other tech.
That’s not the only type of expense funded by these tax revenues, though.
While they aren’t a primary source of funding for teacher salaries — that comes from the state — the levies do go toward some paychecks. This funds additional staff like nurses, para-educators and some teachers, according to school district materials.
In other words, state funds don’t cover all labor costs, which the district cites as a major driver of the budget’s overall size.
The levies also pay for educational programs outside of the state’s responsibility, including pre-school, after-school care, high-achieving student programs and vocational training.
What we’re talking about here are levies that allow Tacoma to offer more than a bare-bones K-12 education, and then a door that slams shut with the school bell. That’s something worth paying for and, for now, this is the only way to pay for it.
