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 visit www.co.pierce.wa.us/702/Senior-Citizens-Or-Disabled-Persons.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

Every four years, pending School Board approval.

Please email your question to communications@bethelsd.org and we will get you an answer and may add your question to this page in the future.