Burien, WA– A three-year educational programs and operations replacement levy will go before voters on February 10, 2015. Levies pay for educating students and operating schools above the costs covered by the state. The levy is not a new tax. It replaces the previous levy passed in 2011, which is due to expire at the end of 2015.

The proposed levy would be an estimated $180.9 million. That is 21 percent of the district's operations budget. The levy would pay for all or portions of basic, day-to-day operations of schools, such as:

• Student programs
• Teacher pay, for additional teachers above the state minimum
• Instructional assistants in classrooms
• Textbooks, curriculum, and teacher training
• Additional course offerings for students
• Athletics
• Arts and music
• Special education
• Bus transportation (not fully funded by the state)
• Building and grounds maintenance (not fully funded by the state)
• Computers and technology
• Gifted education programs

Currently, state and federal funding only cover approximately 74 percent of what it takes to educate children in Highline. Around 5 percent of school funding comes from grants and other sources. More than 20 percent of basic school funding comes from voter-approved levies.

“While I believe that the state should be upholding its constitutional duty and funding the majority of this, unfortunately that has yet to happen,” said Chief of Staff & Finance Duggan Harman. “Given the system we currently exist in, local levies are the way schools are funded.”

Levy failure would result in significant layoffs of teachers and other staff.

A levy measure must be approved by a 50 percent margin.

In addition to putting a replacement levy on the February ballot, the school board is also considering when to run another bond measure after the November bond failed to reach the 60 percent approval needed for passage.

One option is to run the bond concurrently with the levy during the February 2015 election.

“It is important that voters understand the difference between levies and bonds, as they fund different school needs,” said Chief Communications Officer Catherine Carbone Rogers. “Simply stated, levies are for learning, and bonds are for building.”

Levies pay for staff and day-to-day operations; bonds fund capital improvements, such as major repairs and new school construction. The funds are completely separate, and money cannot be moved from one fund to the other.

Highline is currently seeking community input as it makes a final decision on when to run another bond. Learn more by visiting the district’s website http://highlineschools.org/site/