Facts and Information

Yes! Low-income and people experiencing disabilities, or other qualifying circumstances, may qualify for tax relief, exemption, or deferral.

Call the Pierce County Tax Exemptions Office at (253) 798-2169 or visit the Pierce County Elections website to apply for this exemption Pierce County Elections website.  

Yes! Seniors, or individuals with other qualifying circumstances, may qualify for tax relief, exemption, or deferral.

Call the Pierce County Tax Exemptions Office at (253) 798-2169 or visit the Pierce County Elections website to apply for this exemption Pierce County Elections website.  

No. Early in September, the Washington State Supreme Court clarified a pivotal point: school construction funding is not solely the state's responsibility or part of "basic education." Instead, it is a collaborative effort between local communities and the State Legislature.   

The state provides some funds for operations:​

• Salary & Benefits​
• Preventative maintenance ​
• Equipment maintenance agreements​
• Parts for repairs​
• Supplies for servicing equipment​
• Health & safety inspections​
• Septic & sewer pumping​
• Contracted repairs/services​
• Staff training​
• Software licenses and maintenance agreements​
• Internet Connectivity

The district has identified 906 critical projects districtwide, including building improvements, technology upgrades, safety and security enhancements, and outdoor programs improvements, all essential to meet the needs of students and staff.

Building Improvements (45%)

• HVAC
• Lighting & Electrical
• Roof Repairs & Replacements
• Portable Improvements
• Interior & Exterior Improvements
• Elevator Replacement
• ADA Accessibility Improvements
• Flooring

Technology (18%)

• Internet Access
• Classroom Technology

Site & Traffic (16%)

• Traffic Safety
• Fence & Gates
• Field Renovations
• Paving Improvements & Walking Paths
• Reader Boards

Outdoor (11%)

• Junior High All-Weather Tracks
• Playgrounds & Fields

Safety (10%)

• Fire, Security systems, and cameras
• Access Controls & Alarms
• Districtwide Lock Upgrades
• Intercoms & Notification Systems

Without this funding, the district’s ability to address critically deficient buildings and sites would be impacted. If the levy does not pass, we would need to divert funds from basic education to pay for the most critical projects impacting the safety and security of staff and students. Other impacts include:

• Less than optional teaching and learning environments.
• Continued inequitable access to technology.
• Some students continue to be excluded from playgrounds that aren’t accessible by wheelchairs.
• Buildings will continue to deteriorate, creating an even larger backlog of critical projects
• Closure of facilities to prevent safety risks to student and staff.
• Energy conservation and related operational cost savings would not be realized.
• Fines for non-compliance with the Clean Buildings Act come out of the general fund - impacting resources available for teaching and learning.

This is the district's third attempt to secure funding for these critical school construction and system maintenance projects. Previous attempts received close results but did not reach the 50% plus 1 vote required for approval.

• The February 2022 Capital Levy election fell just short of the 50% of the votes needed to pass with 48.50% yes votes.​

• The November 2022 Capital Levy election fell just short of the 50% of the votes needed to pass with 49.76% yes votes.​

We review hundreds of projects identified through various sources:

• 2021 Study & Survey (Observed Deficiencies and Predicted Renewals)​

• 2021 Citizens Facilities Advisory Committee Report​

• 2023-28 Capital Facilities Plan​

• 2022 HVAC Deficiencies Report​

• Preventative Maintenance Reports​

• Department of Health Inspections​

• State Mandated Programs (Clean Buildings Act, Lead In Water)​

• School Facility Requests​

If you have additional questions, please reach out to us at communications@puyallupsd.org. 

The proposed six-year levy would authorize the collection of taxes to provide.   

• $25,700,000 in 2025  
• $27,000,000 in 2026  
• $28,400,000 in 2027  
• $29,700,000 in 2028  
• $31,400,000 in 2029   
• $32,800,000 in 2030   

The tax levy rate required to produce these levy amounts is estimated at $0.87 per $1,000 assessed value.

To clarify, if the proposed six-year levy of $175 million is passed, it would cost around $36.25 per month for a homeowner whose house is assessed at $500,000.

Exemptions from taxes may be available; call Pierce County Assessor at 253.798.2169 or visit Property Tax Exemptions & Deferrals | Pierce County, WA - Official Website (piercecountywa.gov)  

District Priority #5: The district will ensure the timely repair and maintenance of schools and support facilities in order to maintain a safe work and learning environment for students and staff.

Our schools need funds to address critical building and system maintenance issues, to accommodate our growing student population, and to maintain aging facilities. The implications of the Washington State Supreme Court's decision ripple through the state and directly affect our Puyallup schools.  

As we look towards the future, we are concerned by the data, which indicates that some elementary and high schools (if not already) will be over capacity. PSD projects that our junior highs will exceed our built capacity in 2028. Currently, the School Capacity and Utilization Task Force is investigating solutions for classroom capacity impacts.  

A levy is a local property tax collected by school districts to fund the portion of educational programs and operations that are not funded by the state. 

Levies require a simple majority of 50% +1 to pass. 

There are three main types of levies: 

• Enrichment levies, also known as Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) levies and Maintenance and Operations (M&O) levies, allow a school district to provide things like teachers, support staff, supplies, and materials or services that the state only partially funds. Funding provided by the state does not fully cover the actual costs of operating a school district, so enrichment levies fill in the gap. 
• Capital levies (including tech levies) fund things like modern technology, enhanced building security, and smaller renovation projects.
  Capital levies can be approved for up to six years.
• Transportation levies fund things like new buses or 
  major repairs to older buses to prolong their useful life. 
  Transportation levies can be approved for up to two years.

In simple terms, a replacement levy is the renewal of an existing enrichment, capital, or transportation levy that is about to expire. Typically, if a district asks for a replacement levy approved by voters, it is simply the continuation of an existing tax. 

The easiest way to remember the difference between a bond and a levy is: Bonds are for building, and levies are for learning. * Bonds and levies provide schools with funds that must be used for specific purposes. *The statement “levies are for learning” primarily refers to enrichment levies, not capital levies. 

A levy is a short-term (1-6 years) local property tax collected by school districts to fund the portion of educational programs and operations that are not funded by the state.  Levies require a 50% +1 simple majority to pass.

A Bond is a long-term investment that authorizes the district to purchase property for schools, construct new schools, or modernize existing schools. Bonds are sold to investors and repaid with interest over time from property tax collections, generally between 12-20 years. Bonds require a 60% super majority to pass.

A levy rate is the amount of property tax per $1,000 of assessed property value to fund a voter-approved levy amount. A levy rate of $1.00 means that for every $1,000 of property value, the property owner will have to pay $1.00 in taxes.

Example: If a homeowner has a home valued at $200,000 and the levy rate is $1.00 for every $1,000 of assessed property value, the homeowner will pay $200 annually in property taxes. 

If property values go up, the tax rate is adjusted downward. The school district cannot collect more than the amount approved by voters. Increases in property values do not generate more revenue for the school district. 

Districts can have the same levy rate but raise very different amounts of money because the total property value within a district’s boundary varies significantly across the state.

For example, a levy rate of $1.00 in a district with an average property value of $200,000 will generate $200 per household in levy funding. 

On the other hand, a district with a $1.00 levy rate and an average property value of $700,000 will generate $700 per household for the same level of property tax.

Many school districts can qualify for additional financial assistance from the state of Washington to help build or modernize facilities. The state determines the amount of square footage each student needs (the amounts are different for elementary, middle, and high schools) and assigns a dollar amount per square foot based on current average construction cost estimates.

Both new construction and remodeling projects can be eligible for state assistance. While these matching funds are helpful for bond projects, only a limited percentage of actual costs are typically covered using this formula, leaving the rest of the cost to the school district and the local community (via a bond or capital levy). 

School district boards and county governments can pass policies requiring developers to pay “impact fees” on all new construction to help pay for new schools. An impact fee is imposed by a local government on a new or proposed development project to pay for all or a portion of the costs of providing public services to the new development, such as a school. Impact fees are more common in high-growth areas where new homes are creating the need for additional classrooms or schools.

Generally, impact fees alone will not generate enough money to build a new school.

Capital levies (which include tech levies) fund things like modern technology, enhanced building security, and renovation projects. Capital levies can be approved for up to six years.

Yes, but the amount that districts receive varies based on several factors.

For example, Enrollment, regional cost of living differences, poverty values, and the number of special needs or non-English speaking students are all factors in the district's state funding. Most districts also receive additional federal funding, mostly determined by poverty levels and special needs populations within a district.

Yes, but the funding does not cover the actual costs of operating a school district. 

The Washington State Supreme Court decision on the McCleary lawsuit resulted in public school districts seeing a net funding increase in 2018. Even though the state increased the amount of funding it provided to school districts, it also capped the amount of funding it could raise from local levies. The Legislature also applied restrictions to how funding can be used. For local school districts, levies have been significantly impacted, causing widespread confusion in communities across the state.

You can drop off your ballot at the following ballot drop box locations: 

• • Puyallup Library, 324 South Meridian, Puyallup
  • South Hill Library, 15420 Meridian E., Puyallup
  • Edgewood City Hall, 2224 104th Ave. E., Edgewood 

The special election is on February 13, 2024.

Ballots must be postmarked by this date if mailed or returned to a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on election day.  

Start your online registration on Washington’s election website.

You can also register to vote by mail or in person on Washington’s election website.

• Online registration deadline: 8 days before Election Day
• Register by mail deadline: Must be received 8 days before Election Day
• In-person registration deadline: Available up to and including on Election Day

You can confirm your voter registration status on Washington’s election website.

To register to vote in Washington, you must be:

• A citizen of the United States
• A legal resident of Washington state for at least 30 days before election day
• At least 18 years old by election day
• Not disqualified from voting due to a court order
• Not currently serving a sentence of total confinement under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections for a Washington felony conviction
• Not currently incarcerated for a federal or out-of-state felony conviction

To register online, you will need:

• A current Washington State driver license, or
• A current Washington State ID card

16 and 17-year-olds can now pre-register to vote!

Registrants under 18 will have their registrations held until they become eligible to vote.

Beginning in 2022, 17-year-olds who are pre-registered to vote will be able to vote in the August Primary Election and Presidential Primaries as long as they turn 18 before the following November General Election. Reference RCW 29A.08.210