Copyright Everett Herald
EVERETT — Voters in the Edmonds and Northshore school districts will decide on ballot measures in the February special election. On Tuesday, the Edmonds school board unanimously passed a resolution to place a levy for educational programs and operations on the Feb. 10 ballot. On Monday, the Northshore school board unanimously passed resolutions for two levies and one bond. In Edmonds, 15% of the district’s budget relies on levy funding. The current educational programs and operations levy is active through 2026. If the ballot measure is approved, funding would continue through 2030. Funds from the levy will go toward “teaching, instructional materials and support, athletics and extracurricular activities, transportation, and other educational programs and operations expenses not fully funded by the State,” the resolution reads. “This is a replacement levy, this is not a new levy,” school board President Nancy Katims said. “This is very important for people to understand.” The Northshore school board has been discussing potential levies for the past six months, school board member Sandy Hayes said at Monday’s meeting. The Northshore school board also passed an educational programs and operations levy measure. Like Edmonds, it’s a replacement levy. The funds would go toward “staff, academic programs, extracurricular activities, and other services that directly support student learning,” district spokesperson Jennifer Piplic wrote in a press release Tuesday. It would also support some class size reductions. “This is (students’) air, food and water of education because we unfortunately don’t have enough funding to provide that, with the funding we receive directly from the state,” board Vice President Elisabeth Sotak said. “So it’s an important ask that we have of our community that they help support students for their basic needs that are required under federal and state law.” In addition, the board passed a resolution for a technology levy — also a replacement — that would fund classroom technology, maintenance and data security through 2030. The board also passed a $142 million capital projects bond. The bond would fund the second replacement phases of Inglemoor High School and Leota Middle School, a replacement of Shelton View Elementary School, and an expansion for Kokanee Elementary School. The bond would also fund other building improvements, accessibility improvements, seismic upgrades, inclusive playgrounds and updated athletic spaces. Voters most recently approved a $425 million capital bond in 2022, which funded a number of construction projects, including the first phases of the Inglemoor High and Leota Middle replacements. “What we have in the resolution is not the highest number that was brought to us with respect to what the task force told us needs to be done,” board member Jacqueline McGourty said. “We know that it’s not going to cover everything that really needs to be done, and it’s honestly heartbreaking. … But the number is a compromise. We’re covering as much as we could of all of the safety issues, the seismic upgrades and replacing those components in schools that desperately need it for the safety of our students.”
