Didn’t we just approve these levies in February?
While these same two levy renewals were on the ballot in February 2022, they both failed to get the 50%+1 simple majority needed to pass. Because of the importance of this funding to our school’s day-to-day operations, the School Board decided to rerun the election in April. This is the last election available before the end of the school year and will allow us to plan accordingly for the 2022-23 budget. If both levy renewals fail again, the district will need to cut $50 million from its budget starting this Fall. 

February 2022 Special Election Results

Proposition No. 1: Educational Programs and Operations Levy

Yes: 7,797 (43.93%)
No: 9,953 (56.07%)

Proposition No. 2: Technology Levy

Yes: 8,338 (46.81%)
No: 9,476 (53.19%)

If the levy renewals fail in April, won’t the district just rerun them in August?
No. School districts can only put levies before the voters twice per calendar year. If the levy renewals fail again in April, the levies won’t be able to go before the voters until 2023, making layoffs and cuts to programs inevitable for this fall.

What happens if the Educational Programs & Operations Levy doesn’t pass?
Imagine if your home budget was cut by 19%. Without the EP&O Levy, major cuts would have to be made. Since 83% of our overall budget pays for staff (teachers, bus drivers, etc.), that would mean having to cut positions, which would directly impact students. The EP&O Levy also pays for 100% of extracurricular activities, including sports.

How often are the EP&O Levy and the Technology Levy renewed?
Every four years.

Do levies require a supermajority to pass?
Unlike bonds, which require a 60% supermajority to pass, levies only require a simple majority of 50%+1 in order to pass. From 1932 to 2007, school levies required a 60% supermajority to pass. The School Levy rate reverted back to 50%. This constitutional change required ⅔ approval in both the House and Senate before it went before voters, where it only needed to be passed by a simple majority.

If passed, what will the levy rate be?
The current EP&O Levy rate is $2.17 per $1,000 of assessed value (AV). Our goal is to keep the Levy rate at $2.17, using very conservative assessed value growth rates, for the next four years. If the assessed values grow faster than our estimated increases, then the rate per $1,000 of assessed value will actually decrease. 

This $2.17 is actually a lower rate than the $2.50 per $1,000 maximum that is currently allowed in the state – which many districts are currently collecting. 

The levy rate for the Technology levy will be $0.31 per $1,000 of assessed value. This is the same rate we are collecting now..

What’s the difference between a bond and a levy?
The easiest way to remember the difference between a bond and a levy is that bonds are for building and levies are for learning. A bond provides funding for capital projects such as purchasing property for schools, constructing new schools, or modernizing existing schools. Bonds are sold to investors who are repaid with interest over time from property tax collections, generally between 10-25 years. Bonds require a supermajority to pass (60%) A levy is a short-term, local property tax passed by the voters of a school district that generates revenue for the district to fund programs and services that the state does not fund or fully fund as part of “basic education.” Levies require a simple majority to pass (50% + 1).

What does the levy fund in terms of health, safety and security in the district?
The Educational Programs and Operations Levy is vital to the health and safety of our staff and students. The number of state-funded positions are listed below, along with the number of positions we actually have in our district. Please keep in mind, these positions support 20,000 students in our district.

Bethel also employs five Sheriff’s Department Deputies as SROs for our district. These positions are also not covered by the state.

How much does the district spend on administrative overhead?
According to this chart produced by the Puyallup School District during their recent levy campaign, Bethel has the lowest administrative spending in the region.

Why do school superintendents make so much money?
Without thinking of the job it entails, superintendent salaries might seem high to some. But think of the job these men and women do on a daily basis. Let’s look at Bethel specifically.

Bethel’s Superintendent is in charge of the following:

• 20,000 students
• 3,000 employees
• 227 school buses (for reference, Pierce Transit has 155 buses)
• He is also in charge of the biggest "restaurant" in the area. Our Child Nutrition Department serves 15,000 meals a day.

Bethel is the 16th biggest school district in Washington state. Our Superintendent is the 25th highest paid superintendent in the state. Looking closer at this comparison document from the state, you’ll see our surrounding districts pay their superintendents more: Tacoma is the 11th highest paid, and Puyallup is the 13th.

How much do School Board members make?
School board members do not receive a salary but they do receive a stipend of $50 per day worked, with a maximum of $4,800 per year. In the budget, you will notice there is an expenditure line item for the Board that is above this maximum amount. That reflects the School Board’s budget, which is used for such items as expenditures for accreditations, audits, elections, legal services, memberships, census, and, as provided by RCW 36.70.015 for regional planning.

When was the last time the district was audited?
By law, all public school districts are audited annually. You can read the state audit reports here: https://sao.wa.gov/. You can learn more about our district’s budget at: https://www.bethelsd.org/Page/785.

Does Bethel get extra "Regionalization" money from the state?
No. Unlike our neighboring districts, who see 6-12% extra in regionalization money from the state, Bethel gets no regionalization money.

Doesn't the lottery help pay for schools?
Other than a small portion that is allocated to the state’s General Fund, none of Washington’s lottery revenue is used for K-12 public education. The state’s lottery revenue helps fund higher education, but not K-12 education. Many people falsely believe the lottery funds K-12 education because, for a time, it did. In the year 2000, Washington lawmakers passed Initiative 728, which redirected lottery revenue to K-12 school funding. That funding went away in 2009 when the state redirected lottery dollars back to the general fund. Currently, the state allocates lottery dollars to the Opportunity Pathways Account, which funds higher education. (Source: KUOW)

What portion of Washington’s legal marijuana revenue is dedicated public schools?
Washington pulls in more than a billion dollars in pot taxes and none of that money is specifically earmarked to pay for public schools. (Source: Crosscut)

Won't the impact fees from all of the new homes being built in our area be enough?
Unfortunately, no. Impact fees are charged at time of the building permit (so only new housing). The fee goes up very minimally each year based on the consumer index. This year, the fee per new house is $3,577 for a single family home and $1,886 for multi-family. The fee represents approximately 1/3 of the true cost to house a new student ($10,369). The District uses impact fees to purchase and place portable classrooms.

Doesn’t the state fully fund public education?
House Bill 2242 was not meant to stop bonds and levies, and actually includes a provision for districts to collect levies. That's because while it was a step in the right direction, anyone will tell you that the Bill was not a complete fix to fund K-12 education. Bethel, like every other district, has unique situations regarding local programs that are important to our students. So while we use our local levy to fund Special Education programs and extra transportation costs, that might be different in other districts. The local levies allow local control.

How much money does Bethel get from the Federal Government and how is it spent?
In 2021-22, revenue from the Federal government made up 13% of the district's budget. That 13% included the ESSER funds. In a normal year, the Federal revenue we receive typically amounts to 7% of our budget. Keep in mind, all Federal dollars have restrictions on them for the way they can be spent. Examples include money for Special Education, Child Nutrition services, and Title programs.

How did we use our Federal COVID funds?
Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding was aimed at helping school districts nationwide mitigate the impacts and recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Congress sent one-time federal funding to school districts to use for immediate, short-term needs for health and safety improvements, learning enhancements, and other programs that help students get back on track with their learning. There are restrictions on how these funds can be spent, and they are not for ongoing expenses.

Is there a tax break for senior citizens or those with disabilities?
Senior citizens and people with disabilities who meet certain income requirements may be exempt from part or all of these local property taxes. To learn more, please call the Pierce County Assessor’s Exemption Hotline at 253-798-2169 or visit www.co.pierce.wa.us/702/Senior-Citizens-Or-Disabled-Persons. 

How will home value fluctuations impact my portion of the levy?

When voters approve a levy, they approve a specific dollar amount the district can collect. That amount does not change, even if your property value increases.

If property values in the district rise, the tax rate per $1,000 assessed valuation will decline, as the total amount of taxes collected remains the same.

Tax rates also go down when new residential and commercial property is built in the district. Those new property owners help share the payments, reducing the amount residents have to pay. For example, if the district had only four residents, all with homes of the same value, and needed to raise a dollar, it would ask each resident for 25 cents. But if another house was built, it would only need 20 cents from each of the five residents to raise the dollar.

For more information on school levies and property values, watch this short video.

What is the Timber Excise tax?
As part of the levy, the state puts a value on everything in our district including the timber and forest lands. This is governed by chapter 84.33 RCW and chapter 84.34 RCW. Timber lands are valued at their “current use” rather than “true and fair value” for property tax purposes. The amount depends on the district’s levy rate as well as the district’s timber assessed value and the actual amount of timber excise taxes collected. If the levy renewals don’t pass in April, we will not be able to collect this money.

How do I vote?
Our state makes it very easy to vote. The first thing you need to do is register. You can register online or by mail until 8 days before an election, or in-person through Election day. Once you have registered, you will receive a paper ballot in the mail in advance of any election. You can vote and return your ballot as soon as you receive it. You can return your ballot by mail or to a ballot drop box, and no stamp is required. Ballots must be postmarked or returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Watch this informative video to learn more.

Where can I get a replacement ballot?
Didn't receive your ballot or need a new one? Call 253-798-VOTE (8683) for assistance. Or, visit https://www.piercecountywa.gov/6550/Request-Replacement-Ballot

If I rent a home, can I still vote?
Renters have the same voting rights as homeowners. Voters do not need to own their home or apartment, they just need to be registered to vote.

Do levies require a supermajority to pass?
Unlike bonds, which require a 60% supermajority to pass, levies only require a simple majority of 50%+1 in order to pass. From 1932 to 2007, school levies required a 60% supermajority to pass. The School Levy rate reverted back to 50%. This constitutional change required ⅔ approval in both the House and Senate before it went before voters, where it only needed to be passed by a simple majority.

Will students be required to get COVID-19 vaccines this fall?

The State Board of Health, which determines immunization requirements for students in all of Washington’s K–12 schools, voted on April 13, 2022, to not require Washington’s students be vaccinated against COVID-19 for school attendance. This means this fall, immunization requirements for our students will remain unchanged. 

We are anticipating the current health and safety guidance from the state Department of Health will remain in place next fall. This includes encouraging––but not requiring––masks, regular cleaning and disinfecting, sharing reminders of proper hand hygiene, and physical distancing to the extent possible while ensuring a full- time in-person opportunity for all students. As a reminder, as we have learned throughout the pandemic, the situation with the virus can evolve and sometimes the guidance changes for us to continue providing the safest learning environment possible for our school community.

With no mask or vaccine requirements for students, we continue to encourage students and families to get vaccinated to protect against COVID-19. Widespread vaccination is one of the most effective strategies we have to reduce the spread of the virus.

You can find more information on required immunizations for school by clicking here.

What does the average home cost in Bethel?
The current average Single Family Residence (SFR) Assessed Value (AV) within the Bethel school district boundaries is $412,810. The average AV from all property types (Vacant, Multi, SFR, Townhouse, Mobile Home) is $394,687.

How many residents live in the Bethel School District?
124,411

Why has construction of the new Bethel High School been delayed?
The original timeline for opening the new Bethel High was September 2023. But changes to the Pierce County Stormwater regulations in 2021 have delayed the opening until 2024 or 2025. The updates to the Pierce County Stormwater Manual’s regulations have resulted in development standards that are different from when the District purchased the property in 2009. These include more stringent threshold methodologies to determine if the site’s stormwater could impact a “Category 1 Wetland,” which is located in the southeast corner of the new Bethel High School site. Updates to all of our 2019 bond projects can be found at bethelsd.org/bond.