Replacement Levy & Bond

February 13 Election Results

While our Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) levy passed, the bond on the February 13, 2024 ballot did not reach the votes needed for approval. Levies require 50%+1 voter approval, and bonds need 60% voter approval to pass. As of February 20, our levy received 55.5% of the vote while the bond received 50.7% of the vote.

We are grateful to our voters and community. While we had hoped to see both measures pass, we know that this is a challenging time for school funding. Staff will be working on next steps, and we will share information and updates as soon as it is available.

West Valley School District is asking the community to consider two school funding measures in the February 13, 2024 election. Local, voter-approved funding measures bridge the gap between what the district receives from the state and federal allocations and the actual cost of operating our schools. Funds from these two measures stay in the West Valley community to support our students.

These two measures work together to provide West Valley students with access to safe, modern learning environments and rigorous education to maximize readiness for college, career and citizenship. The total estimated tax rate increase for the levy and bond package is about $12 per month for a house valued at $370,000 (median value within WVSD).

Year	Estimated Tax Rate	Median House Value	Total Tax
2024	$3.54 per thousand (EP&O and Capital Projects levies)	$370,000	$1,309
2025	$3.93 per thousand (EP&O levy and Bond)	$370,000	$1,454

Proposition 1: Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) Replacement Levy

This is not a new tax, but a replacement of our levy that must be renewed by voters every three years. The EP&O Replacement Levy would continue funding for programs and services that support students and schools:

Teachers, classified staff, principals and technology staff
Counselors, nurses, safety & security staff
Maintenance, custodial, grounds staff
100% of athletics and extracurricular activities

What is the cost of the EP&O Replacement Levy?

The levy replacement rate is $2.44. Estimated rates are per $1,000 of assessed property value. Tax rates could decrease as more properties and businesses are built in our area.

Year	Estimated Tax Rate (per $1,000 of assessed property value)	Collection Amount
2025	$2.44	$9.7 million
2026	$2.44	$10.5 million
2027	$2.44	$10.9 million

Proposition 2: Bond

The state provides very little funding for construction or maintenance. Supplemental funding is provided only if the community has approved the bond.

Funding from the 2024 Bond would be used to:

Build a safe and modern Centennial Middle School
Have kindergarten students join their elementary communities
Build a new City School and Spokane Valley High School with shared common areas
Provide district wide safety updates and maintenance

The projects included were prioritized by the Community Facilities Advisory Committee, a group made up of teachers and parents working with shared priorities to address the district’s facilities needs. Our district has conducted several ThoughtExchange surveys where the community was invited to participate by sharing their ideas and questions about the February 2024 bond. Results can be found below.

What is the cost of the 2024 Bond?

The estimated tax rate is $1.49 per $1,000 of assessed property value. This will generate $92,150,000 for construction and maintenance.

West Valley School District last passed a bond in 2003, which was used to construct a new building for West Valley High Schools and add gymnasiums and additional classroom space for our elementary schools.

Have a question?

Please contact us at [email protected]
or 509-924-2150.