February 2025 Levies
Both Levies Passed!
The final ballot counts were certified on February 21, and the EP&O levy and SSTC levy both passed.
Evergreen Public Schools Levy Ballot Measures, 2025
In the February 11, 2025 special election, voters who live in the Evergreen Public Schools enrollment area will be asked to consider a replacement Educational Programs & Operations levy (EP&O) and a replacement Safety, Security & Technology Capital levy (SSTC). This funding helps provide education that prepares students for the jobs of tomorrow. See news release on Board of Directors approving levies.
What the Levies Support
EP&O Levy (Proposition 7) — if approved, will continue to support:
Sports
Safety & Secuirty
Extracurricular Programs
Teachers, principals, counselors, coaches, safety & security, school support staff including secretaries, paraeducators and others.
Extracurricular activities including Athletics, Orchestra, Band, Choir, Theater, field trips and more.
Special education teachers and paraeducators, Multilingual Learners, Highly Capable, smaller class sizes
Curriculum, textbooks, professional development
SSTC Levy (Proposition 8) — if approved, will continue to support:
Student and staff devices, school audio-visual equipment, network infrastructure
Technology staff, ParentSquare communication service
Online curriculum, school communication systems, internet services
Emergency response systems, cyber security, internet safety software
Levy Facts
🔲 The replacement EP&O and replacement SSTC levies are not new taxes. They replace levies that expire at the end of 2025.
🔲 If approved, the levies would be for four years, from 2026 to 2029.
🔲 All schools in the district benefit from these levies.
🔲 Local levy dollars make up 13.5% of the EPS budget:
EP&O levy makes up 10.8% of the total budget
SSTC levy makes up 2.7% of the total budget
🔲 The 2026 estimated rate of the EP&O levy is $2.35 per $1,000 of assessed property value, and the rate for the SSTC levy is $0.40 per $1,000. Voters last approved a supplemental levy in 2022. (Note: Rates can fluctuate because of changes in property assessments and area growth)
🔲 Local levies bridge the ongoing funding gap between what the state funds and what it actually costs to operate schools.
🔲 Levies help to pay for staffing and operations that are unfunded, or underfunded, by the state.
What if the Levy Doesn't Pass?
Loss of local levy funds could require the district to make cuts to student programs and services that could result in:
Cuts or elimination of programs such as Athletics, Band, Choir, Orchestra, and Theater
Larger class sizes and staff reductions
Fewer social-emotional support for students and fewer school counselors
Fewer staff such as teachers, security officers and school support positions.
Cuts to programs partially funded by levy dollars: Special Education, Multilingual Learners, Highly Capable and Transportation.
Levy FAQ
Why do we have levies?
School districts in Washington use levy dollars to help pay for programs, services and staff outside of basic education that are not fully covered by state funds. According to the League of Education Voters Foundation, 289 of the state's 295 school districts have had a local levy since 2020.
In 2018, the state changed the way it funds K-12 education, guaranteeing full funding for basic education. However, due to a number of factors -- including the pandemic, state mandates that are not funded and a funding formula that has not kept up with inflation -- the state underfunds K-12 education by about $4 billion per year, according to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. As part of the 2018 changes, the state limited the property tax rate that school districts can set for a local levy.
Are these new taxes?
No, these are replacement levies. The levies on the February ballot, if approved, would replace levies that expire in 2025.
What percentage of votes is needed for each levy to pass?
In Washington state, school levies need a simple majority of "yes" votes to pass, meaning 50% of ballots cast, plus one. Note, although ballot measures in Washington require that 40% of registered voters cast a ballot to pass, school levies are exempt from this requirement and do not have a minimum voter count.
Is it a levy or a bond? What’s the difference?
A levy is a short-term, local property tax that, if passed by voters, generates revenue for the district to fund programs and services that the state underfunds or does not fund at all as part of “basic education.” Levies require a majority (50% + 1) to pass.
A school bond is a tax that usually involves a property purchase or large-scale school construction or capital projects. Bonds require a supermajority (60%) to pass. The saying, “levies are for learning, bonds are for building,” holds true in most cases.
Does the replacement levy pay for unfunded mandates?
Yes, the district is required by law to provide services that the state does not fund. For example, the replacement levy paid for about $12 million in special education services last year.
What kind of safety positions are supported by the levy?
The district employs 33 campus security officers. State funding supports four security positions, while levy dollars pay for the remaining 29.
How long has EPS used levies to fund programs and staff?
EPS first ran a levy in 1945, the same year the district was formed. That year the levy passed with 747 "yes" votes against 90 "no" votes.
What paid for all the new school construction?
In 2018, voters approved a $695 million Capital Facilities Bond. This bond funding paid for the construction and additions of 14 school buildings as well as numerous facility upgrades at more than two dozen schools. However, these Bond funds cannot be used to fund school operations or learning activities.
Levy Dollars Support Fine & Performing Arts Programs
Levy Dollars Support Sports
Not New Taxes
The levies are not new taxes. They will replace levies that will expire in 2025.
The total estimated 2026 property tax rate for both levies is $2.75 per $1,000 of assessed value for each home in the EPS enrollment area ($2.35 for EP&O, $0.40 for SS&T). Homeowners are also paying a property tax for EPS’s 2018 Envision Evergreen bond that allowed the district to rebuild 15 buildings, including 13 modernized school campuses. The bond’s $1.28 rate in 2026 brings homeowner’s overall rate to $4.03 that year
The overall rate will reduce in each subsequent year of the levies. Estimated rates (rates can fluctuate because of changes in property assessments and area growth):
2026: $4.03 ($2.75 levies, $1.28 bond)
2027: $3.85 ($2.59 levies, $1.26 bond)
2028: $3.71 ($2.47 levies, $1.24 bond)
2029: $3.59 ($2.38 levies, $1.21 bond)
School Tax Rates
Local school tax rates, per $1,000 of assessed home value, for EPS from 2020 to 2029. Rates from 2025 on are estimated and could fluctuate because of several factors, including property assessments and area growth.
How Levy Dollars are Spent
Evergreen, like nearly every other school district in the state of Washington, relies on a mix of federal, state and local funds to operate schools. All of these funding streams come with specific spending criteria and reporting requirements. The proposed EP&O and SSTC levies must be designated and reported to the state to be spent in non-basic education categories.
Levy funds are spent for the direct benefit of students. This use of public funds ensures students receive individualized learning support, social-emotional guidance and growth, and access and opportunities to a variety of educational experiences. Evergreen has one of the lowest percentages of expenditures for administrative/central office support of peer districts, while spending a larger percentage of funds at the school level.
Informational Flyer
2025 Levy Flyer 11-12.pdf2025 Levy Flyer - Russian.pdf2025 Levy Flyer-Spanish.pdfVoter Information
Register to Vote
Voter registration forms are available at all Evergreen Public Schools or online at: https://clark.wa.gov/elections/registering-vote. You can also register in person at the Clark County Elections Office, 1408 Franklin St, Vancouver until election day.
Not sure if you are registered?
Click here to find out. VoteWA allows you to check your voter registration status, get your voters' guide and much more.
Tax Exemptions
Senior citizens and disabled persons may qualify for tax exemptions. For more information, contact the Clark County Assessor at: www.clark.wa.gov/assessor or taxreduction@clark.wa.gov or (564) 397-2391.