Capital Levy Approved: Understanding Public School Levies After Feb. 13 Election

We’re thrilled to share that the results of the Capital Levy election have been officially finalized. Thank you again, voters!

We’ve received a few questions about levies since the Feb. 13 special election, and we’d like to take this opportunity to share some facts regarding public school levies. 

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.
(This is not to be confused with a Bond for new building construction and major modernization, which requires 60% + 1 to pass.)

There are three main types of levies:

• EP&O levies, also known as Educational Programs and Operations levies, allow a school district to provide smaller class sizes,  programs like music and art, and student transportation 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 modern technology, enhanced building security, and smaller renovation projects. Capital levies can be approved for up to six years.
   
• Transportation levies fund new buses or major repairs to older buses to prolong their useful life. Transportation levies can be approved for up to two years.

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.

To learn more about public school funding, visit our website at http://www.puyallupsd.org/schoolfunding