Editor’s note: The February special election is being certified today, Feb. 18; this means all election results are final.

ENUMCLAW SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPOSITION NO. 1

Replacement of Expiring Levy for Educational Programs and Operations

Approve: 51.29%

Reject: 48.71%

Percent of the vote counted: 36.76% (of 20,964)

WHITE RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPOSITION NO. 1

Replacement Educational Programs and Operations Levy

Approve: 51.4%

Reject: 48.6%

Percent of the vote counted: 32.35% (of 4,216)

WHITE RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPOSITION NO. 2

Capital Projects Levy (Technology and Critical Repairs)

Approve: 51.73%

Reject: 48.27%

Percent of the vote counted: 32.35% (of 4,216)

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Enumclaw, Black Diamond and Buckley voters have approved their respective school districts’ levies this election.

The Enumclaw School District only had one levy on the February special election ballot — a replacement of its Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) levy that was passed by voters in 2018. The White River School District also had a replacement EP&O levy on the ballot, as well as a replacement Capital Projects Levy, which would help pay for various technology needs and critical infrastructure improvements and repairs.

In Enumclaw, 51.29 percent of voters had approved the replacement EP&O levy. About 37 percent (7,678 ballots of 20,964) turned in a ballot. 48.71 percent voted to reject the proposition. The difference between the approval and rejection vote count was less than 200 ballots.

In the Buckley area, 51.4 and 51.73 percent of the community voted for the EP&O and the Capital levies, respectively. Around 32 percent (5,525 ballots of 17,096) turned in a ballot. 48.6 and 48.27 percent of voters rejected the EP&O and Capital levies, respectively, and the difference between the approval and rejection vote count for both levies was also less than 200.

Past ESD levies have had moderate community support, though only a portion of eligible voters have cast ballots; the district’s 2018 EP&O levy and 2020 technology levy each garnered a 56 percent approval rate with slightly more than a third of residents voting in both elections.

The White River community had even more support for its district’s past levies, with the 2018 EP&O levy earning close to a 61 percent approval rate, and its 2018 Capital Projects Levy nearly a 58 percent approval rate. Less than a third of registered voters turned in a ballot for that election.

DOLLARS AND CENTS

Enumclaw School District

Enumclaw’s EP&O levy is only a part of the district’s overall tax rate — it also includes the 2020 technology levy and the remainder of voter-approved 2016 bond measure.

With the levy having passed, voters can expect:

• The 2023 overall tax rate to be $2.87 per $1,000 in assessed value; for a homeowner with property valued at $500,000, this would mean being taxed about $1,435 in taxes that year.

• The 2024 overall tax rate to be $2.75 per $1,000 in assessed value; homeowners with a $500,000 home would be taxed about $1,375.

• The 2025 overall tax rate to be $2.67 per $1,000 in assessed value, meaning those with property valued at $500,000 would be taxed about $1,335.

• The 2026 overall tax rate to be $2.62 per $1,000 in assessed value; again, for those with property values at $500,000, this would mean being taxed about $1,310 in taxes.

All together, the overall levy rate will provide the school district with around $13.6 million in 2023; $14.6 million in 2024; $15.7 in 2025; and $16.8 million in 2026, for a grand total of around $61 million over the next four years.

White River School District

Like it’s neighbor to the north, WRSD’s levies only make up a portion of the overall tax rate, because it also includes a voter-approved 2016 bond measure.

With the levies approved, voters can expect:

• The 2023 overall tax rate to be $4.07 per $1,000 in assessed value; with the average property value in the district being close to $450,000, this means the average homeowner would be taxed $1,831.

• The 2024 and 2025 overall tax rate to be $4.06 per $1,000 in assessed value; for the average homeowner, this means being taxed about $1,827.

• The 2026 overall tax rate to be $4.04 per $1,000 in assessed value; for the average homeowner, this means being taxed about $1,818.

All in all, the overall tax rate will produce close to $20.8 million in revenue in 2023; $22 million in 2024; $23.3 million in 2025; and $24.6 million in 2026, for a total of about $90.7 million in revenue over the next four years.

WHAT IT PAYS FOR

Enumclaw School District

According to ESD’s Public Information Officer Jessica McCartney, the levy is necessary to cover gaps in state funding. The current levy covers about 13 percent of the district’s overall budget.

“The EP&O levy funding is needed to pay for eligible educational programs and operations not fully funded by the state’s prototypical funding model, including counselors, nurses and health room professionals, safety and security, custodians, librarians, para-educators, certificated staff, early learning services, special education services, transportation, social and mental health services, fine arts, athletics, co-curricular programs and the maintenance of playgrounds, playfields, and other facilities,” she wrote in an email interview.

A graphic from ESD gives an example of what state funding provides, and what the district’s needs actually are.

For example, for health room professionals (nurses), state funding would only cover just over half a position, whereas the district needs to employ nine across its eight schools.

Other positions include safety and security officers (state funding is enough for three-quarters a position, while the district employs two); counselors (state funds can cover eight, but the district has 11); school psychologists (there’s practically no state funding for this position, but the district utilizes six); and custodians (state funding covers 16, but the district retains 25).

Other ways the district plans to use levy funds can be found at www.enumclaw.wednet.edu/district-departments/business-operations/bonds-and-levies/levies/levy-2022.

White River School District

Like ESD, WRSD’s levy would help pay for various academic programs like early learning and special education, staffing, and student programs like arts, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math), clubs, and other activities.

When it comes to staffing, White River finds itself in a similar position to Enumclaw.

“The state funds less than one full time nurse; local levy dollars have allowed us to have a nurse in each building as well as a nursing supervisor that oversees and guides their work,” a district FAQs page on the levy reads; the district has six schools, plus an early learning center. These nurses oversee 324 individualized health plans for students that cover life-threatening health conditions, and between 50 to 70 students visit a school nurse’s office every day.

The district also emphasizes the needs for counselors and mental health professionals (WRSD employs 10; “With the well-documented rise in mental health needs as a result of this current pandemic it has become even more critical to provide mental health professionals for our students and staff,” a district webpage reads) and special education services (Nearly 600 students receive some form of special education services, which costs the district close to $1 million every year to pay for psychologists, occupational therapists, paraprofessionals, and more).

The Capital Project Levy would pay for other projects around the district.

For example, the White River High School needs various structural repairs and upgrades to a retaining wall and deck, its HVAC system, and the main driveway.

It also provides funds to provide students with personal Chromebooks and iPads and infrastructure upgrades.

Other projects include adding a fire lane to the Early Learning Center, fixing up the Elk Ridge entry and bus loop, improving the Glacier and Elk Ridge field parking logs.