Waitsburg Schools to vote on levy Feb. 11

WAITSBURG— Voters in the Waitsburg School District will be asked to continue supporting schools by approving an Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) levy of $2.71 per $1,000 of assessed property value on the Feb. 11 ballot. This is NOT a new tax. If approved, the 2020 levy funds will be used to support school programs not fully funded by the state.

According to the Waitsburg School District’s website, this levy pays for educational programs including smaller class sizes, extra-curricular activities, athletics, preschool programs, counselors and nurses, CTE programs, technology, maintenance and operations and much more. The total collection amount for the proposed levy will be $622,156 in 2021 and $640,535 in 2022.

When reached for comment, School Board member Lisa Morrow, herself a mother of a 14-year-old boy stated, “I would really just like to focus on how supportive of a community we have and live in and that it is so nice to raise my son in a community that does so much for the kids living in it.”

Voters will receive their ballots in the mail by January 24th. Register to vote or find more info online at wei.sos.wa.gov. Tax exemptions and deferrals are available for senior citizens and individuals who are disabled. For more information, contact the Walla Walla County Assessor’s Office at 509-524-2560, or the Columbia County Assessor at 509-382-2131. Ballots must be postmarked or returned by February 11th. There is a ballot drop box outside the Waitsburg City Hall.