By Matthew Nash
Olympic Peninsula News Group
SEQUIM — Sequim City Council members unanimously approved a resolution supporting two proposed levies for the Sequim School District.
The two levies — a four-year Educational Programs and Operations Replacement levy, also known as Proposition 1, and a three-year Capital Projects levy, Proposition 2 — go to voters in a special election Feb. 12.
‘Economic vitality’
“A viable school district and school facilities are both really important to our economic vitality,” Sequim City Manager Charlie Bush said Monday during the council meeting.
The city’s resolution said support for the levies follows the city’s economic development core values and its comprehensive plan while maintaining competitiveness, keeping existing employers and attracting professionals.
The Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) levy would replace the district’s four-year levy, which expires at the end of 2017.
It would run from 2018-21 and generate $26.5 million to pay for more teachers to reduce class sizes, programs such as Highly Capable and Advanced Placement courses, curriculum, books and technology, overall district maintenance and activities such as sports and after-school clubs.
The proposed capital project levy would generate about $5.75 million over three years and pay to demolish an unused portion of Sequim Community School and expand and renovate the central kitchen facility in the same building.
Combined, the two levies would cost $1.68 per $1,000 assessed home valuation in 2018, $1.90 in 2019, $2.36 in 2020 and $1.57 in 2021.
1st capital project levy
Sequim Superintendent Gary Neal told the city council that this is the first capital project levy the school district has run before.
“A capital levy, in summary, is what you do when you can’t pass a bond,” he said. “This is a way of chipping away.”
The Sequim School District has proposed four bond to voters since April 2014. All have failed.
Unlike bonds that are used for new construction and require at least 60 percent voter approval, both the EP&O and capital project levy require at least 50 percent voter approval to pass.
Neal said turnout must be within 40 percent of the last election’s turnout, but he’s optimistic they’ll meet that threshold.
The unused portion of the community school, built in 1949 and shuttered in 2012 because it was found to be unsafe for students, would give the school district access to $4.3 million in state matching funds for new construction, Neal said.
Several city council members went on record to share their support for the levies, including Bob Lake, who said, “We owe it to the children to give them facilities they need.”
City Attorney Kristina Nelson-Gross said due to anti-lobbying provisions, council members couldn’t endorse the levies on the ballot but could support the levy plans.
For more information about the resolution, visit www.sequimwa.gov.
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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach him at mnash@sequimgazette.com.
