Our Voice: Kennewick schools levy a reasonable request

While state lawmakers are struggling this legislative session to comply with a court order to fully fund basic education, local school district officials must, in the meantime, continue to fill in the gaps caused by the Legislature’s failure.

So once again, voters in communities across the state are being asked to renew school levies, and that includes Kennewick.

The Kennewick School District’s proposed levy would collect $25.05 million is 2017 and $25.6 million in 2018 at an estimated rate of $3.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

That is the same tax rate Kennewick residents have been paying for the past two years. The important thing to remember is that school levies are not a new tax. They are a replacement of an existing assessment that is necessary if communities want to provide a quality education for their children.

The election is Feb. 9 and ballots are scheduled to arrive in mailboxes next week. It would be best to open the envelope, check “yes” and return the ballot right away. That way it won’t end up buried on the kitchen counter where it could be forgotten.

The Washington state constitution says it is the “paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for education of all children residing in its borders.”

But that has not happened for decades, and the amount of local money needed to ensure an “ample” education for students is critical.

The school levy money accounts for about 20 percent of the Kennewick School District operating budget. Kennewick School Superintendent Dave Bond said much of that money goes toward personnel, so if the levy were to fail, jobs would be cut and programs lost.

School levies fund athletics and heavily subsidize many other programs, including art, music and drama. Kennewick schools also use local tax money to hire more counselors, nurses and security officers than can be provided by state funds alone.

Librarians, school secretaries, paraeducators, computers, textbooks and curriculum materials and other academic needs are other budget items offset by school levy money, as is professional training opportunities for teachers and other district staff.

These aren’t extras. These are essentials that won’t be met without local tax support.

Another factor is that school districts receive levy equalization money from the state, but that money goes away if a levy fails. Levy equalization balances the finances of poor districts with more affluent ones in an attempt to give every child in the state an equal shot at a quality education. The amount varies from district to district, but it is significant and helps pay for a range of services.

The Kennewick School District has done a good job of managing taxpayer money over the years, and asking voters to simply continue paying the same tax rate is a reasonable request.

There are some people who vote against virtually every tax issue on every ballot. School levies only pass if enough people who care about kids take the time to vote “yes” and send in their ballot — and that’s what we encourage Kennewick voters to do.

The Tri-City Herald recommends approving the Kennewick School District levy.

This story was originally published January 14, 2016 at 8:05 PM with the headline "Our Voice: Kennewick schools levy a reasonable request."