Voters in the Highline School District should be receiving their ballots in the mail soon for the district's education programs levy.
Ballots must be postmarked no later than Feb. 8 for the mail-in only election.
The levy would raise $46 million in the first two years, $47 million in the third year and $49 million in the fourth year. The district's current levy expires this year.
Homeowners should expect to pay $3.44 per $1,000 of assessed home valuation.
The levy needs a simple majority of yes votes to pass.
With big cuts from the state, the Highline district is counting on the levy to provide nearly 25 percent of its budget. District officials say they have trimmed $14.5 million from the budget over the past three years and face up to $2.1 million in additional reductions this year
Highline staffers say the levy would fund about 250 jobs. Eighty percent of the levy is targeted for teachers and support staff.
According to administrators, the funds would also go for bus drivers, textbooks, supplies, security, building maintenance, special education, music education, athletics, activities and the district's outdoor education program at North Bend's Camp Waskowitz. They say the state does not provide enough "basic education" money to cover these costs.
District officials warn that if the levy is not approved, teachers and support staff could be laid off. Other cuts, they say, could include shortening the school day, reducing or eliminating courses, increasing class size, cutting extracurricular activities and athletics, limiting community use of school facilities and closing Camp Waskowitz.