Ballots for the Vashon Island School District levy renewal have been mailed and are awaiting your vote and return to the elections office by Feb. 13.

Vashon voters have a long history of supporting their schools through similar levy propositions and renewals since the early 1970s. Our community champions excellence in education and demands high quality instruction and services well “beyond basic” funded through state monies. As school board leaders, we are willing to accept the charge of our community to hold a high standard of stewardship to see that your tax dollars deliver the education you expect and your children deserve.

The school district’s levy renewal proposition is not a new tax and is a replacement of the levy approved in 2014. The proposed levy rate is estimated to be $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed home value for each of the next four years, similar to the current local levy rate for schools. Every four years our district proposes this “Educational Programs and Operations Levy” (formerly known as the Mainteance and Operations Levy and other titles over the years) to the voters. The levy represents nearly 20 percent of our total operating budget or, for 2018, $4,283,536 of a total operating budget of $21,516,595. Exemptions from taxes may be available to homeowners who are 61 or older or disabled and who meet certain income requirements. For more information, call the King County Department of Assessments at 206-296-3920.

Since 2012 there have been many headlines about the State Supreme Court’s McCleary ruling that the state has not met its constitutional duty to fully fund basic education. You may recall that in the last few hours of the 2017 legislative session, SHB 2242 was passed as a legislative solution to meet the court’s mandate. However, though additional state funding was raised through state property taxes, the legislation fell short of meeting the court’s requirement and continues to leave school districts in our state extremely dependent upon local levy support.

Washington’s new funding model is a “work in progress.” It was intended to comply with the state constitution and lower local school taxes by increasing state property taxes. While it is a step in the right direction, all districts, including VISD, remain dependent upon local levies in order to meet current program delivery.

The Legislature is currently in session discussing the most recent State Supreme Court November 2017 ruling, again directing the Legislature to comply with the court’s mandate by the fall of 2018. It remains to be seen what the legislative response will be. There are more than 160 school districts, including Vashon, across the state that have levy proposals on the ballot for Feb. 13 to ensure adequate funding to maintain existing programs and services.

Our EP&O levy provides crucial support for many of the programs and services available to our students and families. The levy pays for the actual costs of meeting special education students’ educational needs mandated by state and federal law as well as training and professional development for our faculty and staff. Several support positions in our district are paid out of these local levy funds, including many paraprofessionals, school secretaries and counselors. The levy also pays for programs that enrich the academic and extra-curricular experience of our students including arts, music, theater, AP courses, sports, clubs, field trips and enrichment programs.

Further, the district is dependent upon levy support to pay for keeping schools and grounds safe, functional and clean and for hiring qualified substitute teachers.

Recruiting and retaining a highly qualified and effective teaching staff is another benefit of the levy. The financial stability the levy provides gives assurance to our faculty and staff that they will enjoy stable employment over several years and that they can expect to build a career in our schools. Further, our levy provides resources for ongoing professional development and training which enhances job satisfaction and the strength of instruction in our classrooms. Local resources also allow our district to negotiate contracts effectively so that we remain competitive with surrounding districts and can attract great faculty and staff to our island community.

Our schools are a source of pride for our community and often identified as a primary reason for living here on Vashon. As board members, we take our responsibility to guarantee great schools seriously and welcome your questions, ideas and concerns. Information about the history of our levy, the current levy proposal and answers to common questions are available on the district’s website. We urge your continued support and encourage you to mark your ballot “yes” by Feb. 13.

— Zabette Macomber and Toby Holmes are members of the Vashon Island School District school board. Zabette is currently serving as chair.