School Funding At Stake In Northshore Election Tuesday

WOODINVILLE, WA - King County voters will be asked to approve billions in property tax increases to fund education. There are also two bond issues on the ballot authorizing districts to borrow hundreds of millions to build new schools.

Here's what's on the ballot near you:

Enumclaw School District Proposition No. 1

This is a replacement levy for funding Enumclaw schools. The levy would increase property taxes by $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value through 2022. For a home with an assessed value of $400,000, taxes would increase by about $600 each year, for example.

Mercer Island School District Proposition No. 1

A replacement levy "to support the District’s educational maintenance and operations not funded or fully funded by the State." This measure would increase taxes by $1 per $1,000 of assessed value through 2022.

Issaquah School District Proposition No. 1

This renewal levy for school funding would raise about $80 million over 2019 and 2020. In 2019, property taxes would increase by $1.13 per $1,000 of value and $1.33 in 2020.

Issaquah School District Proposition No. 2

This levy would raise about $67 million between 2019 and 2022 to upgrade technology and school buildings. The levy starts at 53 cents per $1,000 in assessed value in 2019 and drops to 49 cents by 2022.

Issaquah School District Proposition No. 3

Issaquah's final education-related levy would raise $2 million in 2019 to replace school buses. This levy increases property taxes 6 cents per every $1,000 of assessed value and expires after one year.

Shoreline School District Proposition No. 1

This is a nearly $100 million levy to help pay for operations and education costs in Shoreline through 2022. The levy would increase property taxes by $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value through 2022.

Shoreline School District Proposition No. 2

This smaller levy would fund technology upgrades at schools. That includes buying hardware and software for students and staff, and to pay for staff to support technology infrastructure. The levy would raise $13 million between 2019 and 2022. The levy starts at 23 cents per $1,000 in assessed value in 2019 and drops to 17 cents by 2022.

Lake Washington School District Proposition No. 1

This $253 million replacement levy funds programs and operations through 2022. Residents in the district would see a $1.03 increase per $1,000 in assessed value.

Lake Washington School District Proposition No. 2

This levy would raise about $130 million over the next four years by increasing property taxes 59 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. The levy pays for infrastructure improvements, including technological upgrades and facilities improvements.

Lake Washington School District Proposition No. 3

Prop 3 is a bond measure. If approved, the district would borrow nearly $300 million in part to relieve overcrowding in middle schools. District officials say Kirkland middle schools will exceed capacity by 900 students within a decade. This bond measure requires 60 percent approval to pass.

Northshore School District Proposition No. 1

This is a renewal levy for funding Northshore schools. The levy would increase property taxes by $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value through 2022, raising a total of about $240 million.

Northshore School District Proposition No. 2

If approved, the district would issue $275 million in bonds to pay for: a new K-5 school in Maltby, building a 30-classroom building, and a new Inglemoor High School fine arts center, among other projects. This bond measure requires 60 percent approval to pass.

Northshore School District Proposition No. 3

This $62 million, four-year levy would fund technology upgrades at Northshore schools. The levy starts at 51 cents per $1,000 in assessed value in 2019 and drops to 47 cents by 2022.

Bellevue School District Proposition No. 1

This $304 million replacement levy keeps Bellevue schools funded at current levels. The levy adds 99 cents per $1,000 of assessed value through 2022.

Bellevue School District Proposition No. 2

This levy funds technology including new laptops for middle and high school students, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) learning for every student, and laptop carts for elementary schools, among other items. The $163 million levy starts at 54 cents per $1,000 in assessed value in 2019 and drops to 53 cents in 2021.

Bellevue School District Proposition No. 3

The district will raise about $8 million with this levy to replace school buses over the next decade. The levy adds 12 cents per $1,000 of assessed value in 2019 only.

To vote in your local election, mail your ballot on Tuesday or drop it off at a King County Elections drop box. Find all the locations here.

NOTE: Except for bond measures, levy totals are only estimates based on property value projections over the next four years.

Photo by Ted S. Warren/Associated Press