JOYCE — Crescent School District officials are asking voters to approve a four-year $495,713 operations and maintenance levy in the Feb. 14 special election, saying it is needed to maintain such services as all-day kindergarten and a district librarian.
“We can’t afford to not have a levy,” Superintendent Tom Anderson said.
Ballots were mailed to the 1,800 registered voters in the Joyce district last week.
The property tax levy measure is the only one before Clallam County voters in the February special election.
It would raise $495,713 each year from 2013 to 2016.
The estimated levy rate would be $1.615 per $1,000 assessed value, or $323 per year for a $200,000 home.
It would replace a levy that expires this year.
“It is not a new tax,” said Tracey Grover, Crescent School Board chairwoman.
But the new levy is at higher rate than the one now in place, which has a levy rate of $1.40 per $1,000 assessed value.
“There is a slight increase,” Anderson said.
That’s because of state and federal budget cuts, which in three years have carved $600,000 from the district’s budget, which is now $3 million.
The levy the district is requesting would fund staff salaries for the district’s librarian, academic counselor and foreign language teacher, and would pay for curriculum materials, food service, all day kindergarten program, and to replace technology, Anderson said.
If voters reject the levy request, those items could be on the table for consideration for cuts, Anderson said, although that would be a last resort after researching voters’ desires again and consider postponing more maintenance that could be postponed.
That makes this levy more important than it has been in the past, said district officials.
“In the past, our levies were for extra things,” Grover said.
But now, because of government cuts, the small district is depending on the levy for survival, Anderson said, who described it as “absolutely critical.”
“Generally, you hope you can add something to your school with a levy,” he said.
“This levy will maintain pretty well what we’ve had the last four years.”
More state cuts are likely to be approved during the present legislative session, Anderson said.
“I’m not sure districts can withstand the loss of levy dollars in addition to the cuts the state is making,” he added.
But district officials are optimistic, Anderson said.
“I think the community has appreciated our attention to the dollars that we received in past,” he said.
In the last few years, the district has postponed some maintenance, eliminated paraeducators, and eliminated such programs as band and vocation education.
“We have made tough decisions,” Anderson said.
“Some didn’t like eliminating band program,” for instance; “I didn’t like it,” he said.
Crescent has about 230 students attending its brick-and-mortar schools, which offer kindergarten through high school classes, and about 109 in the Crescent School District HomeConnection program.
Anderson was pleased with the response of the community to students who are working with parents and school staff members on the levy committee.
On Saturday, members of the levy committee went door-to-door talking with voters.
“We heard that when a student and an adult went to the door, people wanted to talk to the student,” Anderson said.
“So the student voice was asked for and heard.”
While Clallam County has one property tax levy measure on its ballot, the ballot is fuller in Jefferson County.
All four public school districts in East Jefferson County are requesting property tax levies on the Feb. 14 ballot.
The Port Townsend district seeks a four-year capital levy that would generate $1,181,500 each year for a total of $4,726,000.
Chimacum seeks a six-year capital projects levy that would raise $1,325,000 each year for a total of $7,950,000.
Quilcene seeks a four-year maintenance and operation levy that would collect $495,500 its first year and $540,095 the fourth year.
Brinnon seeks a two-year measure that would raise $239,653 the first year and $299,526 the second year.
In West Jefferson County, the Queets Clearwater School District is asking voters to approve a three-year, $75,000 educational programs and programs replacement levy.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
