2022-25 Replacement Levy

  • Levy Graphic Thank you for your interest in the 2022-25 Oak Harbor Public Schools renewal levy.  

    On February 9, 2021, Oak Harbor Public Schools will request a replacement levy.  The levy will replace the existing levy that is set to expire at the end of the 2021 calendar year.  If the replacement levy is approved by Oak Harbor voters, it will be implemented at the start of the 2022 calendar year and continue through 2025.

     Local levies are particularly powerful due to local control. Oak Harbor has been able to invest local dollars based on the community's priorities without state or federal government interference. This is why the local levy has made such a profound difference for students. Typically, the levy covers expenses for programs that are not covered by the state's definition of "Basic Education."  This replacement will continue to fund programs like athletics, after-school clubs, and other award-winning programs, but many of the resources will be used to support student well-being and social-emotional learning that was suffered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

    Proposed amounts for a replacement levy are listed below.  The 2017 approved estimated rate per $1000 was $2.55, the new rate per $1000 being voted on in February will be the following: 

     Year  Total Collected  Est. Rate Per $1000
     2022  $11,400,000   $2.28
     2023  $11,850,000   $2.28
     2024  $12,350,000   $2.28 
     2025  $12,850,000   $2.28

What The Levy Funds

  • Local levy dollars support vital programs and services for students not covered under “basic education” or under-funded by the state. Despite a State Supreme Court order, even “basic education” is currently not fully-funded. In Oak Harbor, federal “Impact Aid” funds are also used to bridge this gap.
     
    Local levy dollars impact 631 staff members and countless programs. These include advanced placement classes, special education, the arts, safety and building maintenance, technology, curriculum, para-educators, athletics, clubs, after-school programs, and more. Our local levy has also increased school safety through additional security cameras, fencing, and exterior lighting, updated K-12 technology, and curriculum, as well as funding the 28 classrooms necessary to serve nearly 600 more full-time students since 2013. 
     
    2021 Levy Graphic

Local Revenue Per Student

  • The graph below compares Oak Harbor Public Schools previous levy dollars per student with neighboring school districts.  Oak Harbor's current levy per student is in the bottom 20 percent in the state.  Oak Harbor receives additional funding from federal Impact Aid and from “state levy match.” Even with all of these revenue sources combined, Oak Harbor is below most of its neighbors in local revenue per student.  Oak Harbor has truly achieved more with less.

      Districts    2018  2019  2020
      South Whidbey   $4,461   $3,949  $4,120
      Coupeville    $4,220   $2,817  $2,684
      Anacortes    $3,557   $3,141  $3,180
      Oak Harbor   $2,861  $1,990   $2,793 
     
     

Levy Rates

  • The maximum levy rate for Washington State is $2.50 per $1000 of assessed value. The current levy rate for Oak Harbor Public Schools is well below that at $2.28. The proposed levy rate is estimated at $2.28 per $1000, a true replacement levy. 


    If you have any questions about the levy or changes that it may have to your taxes, please contact Conor Laffey, Oak Harbor Public Schools Communication Officer.