Schools

School Board Votes to Move Forward on Levy

Supplemental levy would replace some lost revenue

The Shoreline School Board unanimously decided to move forward with a plan to ask voters to approve a supplemental maintenance and operating levy in November.

Some districts such as Edmonds and Seattle, asked for more money last year in light of budget cuts and passed supplemental levies. Shoreline did not, hoping the budget picture would improve; since then the revenue picture has, in fact, become worse. In response, the board and superintendent Sue Walker want to ask for more money—about $1.2 million a year for the remaining three years of the current levy, 2011-2014.

The district is facing losses in revenue of about $7 million out of an $80 million-plus annual budget because of cuts to programs such as I-728 ($4.2 million a year) and increased retirement and health care costs.

Find out what's happening in Shoreline-Lake Forest Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The district is collecting less than is allowed by state law right now.  The levy would raise taxes by 15 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value and cost taxpayers about $60 a year for a home valued at $400,000.

Monday's vote, as School Board Director Maren Norton said, will enable the district to go forward with the "legwork" to pursue the levy.

Find out what's happening in Shoreline-Lake Forest Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

School Board Director Debi Ehrlichman said parents in the Parent Teacher Associations have been supportive of the idea, but the challenge will be to reach out to rest of the community.

"The real task will be to rally the non-parent, other community," she said. 

Ehrlichman emphasized the district's difficult financial situation that is prompting it to seek more money is not . Tax revenues are down due to the poor economy, resulting in less money from the state,  and measures to raise or sustain tax revenue to pay for programs have failed at the state level. 

"We've been fiscally responsible," she said. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Shoreline-Lake Forest Park