4 Tri-City area school districts are asking voters to approve levies

Voters in four rural school districts across Benton and Franklin counties are asking voters to agree on a new set of property taxes.

Ballots for the Feb. 11 election were sent out to people living in the Kahlotus, North Franklin County, Kiona-Benton City and Paterson school districts.

All of the districts are seeking voters to approve levies aimed at covering costs that the state doesn’t pay for. Those can include school nurses, security staff, fine arts and sports.

The money will replace already existing taxes that district property owners pay.

The school districts can ask for up to $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value, but in most of the districts they are staying well below that mark. Three of the four districts are asking for two-year levies. Paterson is seeking a three-year levy.

The ballots state the amount the school district can collect from the people in their district, and the amount residents can expect to pay in property taxes to collect that amount.

▪ Kiona-Benton City School District is asking for $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed value, and it would bring in $2.3 million in 2021 and $2.5 million in 2022. About 1,400 students attend the school district.

▪ The nearly 50-student Kahlotus School District is asking voters to approve a $1.07 per $1,000 of assessed property value, which is capped at $75,000. The levy is about four cents per $1,000 of assessed value higher than what property owners paid in 2019.

▪ North Franklin School District is seeking a $1.56 per $1,000 of assessed value property tax for the 2,200 student district. The tax rate is only slightly higher than this year’s rate. If it’s approved, it would raise as much as $1.9 million in 2021 and $2 million in 2022.

▪ Paterson schools are asking for 62 cents per $1,000 of assessed value in 2021 and 2023, and 60 cents per $1,000 of assessed value in 2022. The taxes are expected to raise $335,000 to $355,000 each year.