2522 -- A RESOLUTION of the Board of Directors of Lake Washington School
District [ ] providing a special election to be held therein
on April 23, 2019, for the District’s Capital Projects Fund for constructing and equipping additions to four elementary schools, constructing and equipping additions to Lake Washington High School classrooms, auxiliary gym and commons, and district-wide building safety and security modifications to meet the current and future educational programs for its students.The proposition is to authorize the district to levy for an additional tax of:
$20,000,000 in 2019 for collection in 2020,
$20,000,000 in 2020 for collection in 2021,
$20,000,000 in 2021 for collection in 2022,
$20,000,000 in 2022 for collection in 2023,
$20,000,000 in 2023 for collection in 2024,
and $20,000,000 in 2024 for collection in 2025
Proposed projects include: classroom additions at Lake Washington High School, including auxiliary gyms and commons; classroom additions at Carson Elementary, Franklin Elementary, Rose Hill Elementary, and Twain Elementary, including expansion of core facilities where feasible; and district-wide student safety and security upgrades. The district currently funds construction projects through prior bond measures. With the addition of a 6-year levy, the tax rate for construction will be maintained at the current rate of $1.16 of $1,000 assessed valuation (AV) through the combination of prior bonds and the 6-year capital project levy.
The overall tax rate per $1,000 of assessed valuation, including this measure AND previously approved bond and levy measures is estimated to be $2.60 in 2019 and is estimated [ ] at $2.60 in 2020 and beyond.
An overview of the Capital Project Levy recommendation will be presented to the board of directors at the regularly scheduled meeting on November 19, 2018. Board action on the measure is scheduled for December 3. The public may comment at these meetings and the 11/19 meeting.
Reported by Bob Yoder
Source: LWSD Board Packet, 11/19/2018
Note: EvergreenHealth will put a $325M bond on the April 23 ballot for seismic retrofits.
An explanation of how much this will actually cost the typical homeowner....
ReplyDeleteThis 6-year levy will cost homeowners $29.00 for every $100,000 in assessed value. So the owner of a $700,000 house would pay $203 more per year in property taxes (2020-2026.)
Property taxes on the $700,000 house are already:
State School Taxes: $1330
McCleary School Taxes: $700
LWSD School Taxes: $1900
Roads, City, ST3, Hosp, etc: $2,800
Total: $6730
School taxes now make up 60% of our property taxes. This levy provides 4 elementary school additions and an addition at Lake Washington High School that was rebuilt in 2011. The District isn't even addressing the construction projects authorized by the Long Term Facilities Task Force. They will ask taxpayers to fund these in the 2020 bond measure. Additionally, the McCleary tax is scheduled to increase by 30% in 2021.
I've lived in the same house for 20+ years. In 2012, my property tax bill was $4998 and the school taxes were $2600. In 2018, my property tax bill was $7,900 and the school taxes were $4700. The McCleary tax accounted for $795 of my 2018 tax bill. It appears that nearly $1200 of my annual property taxes are dedicated to paying off LWSD construction bonds for all the new schools that were built in the last 20 years. I don't feel that the quality of education has improved with all the money that has been spent.