Replacement school levy going on Feb. 8 ballot

WAITSBURG— Waitsburg School District is one of many districts with a replacement levy up for renewal on the upcoming February 8, 2022, Special Election. Waitsburg’s proposed Educational Programs & Operations (EP&O) Levy will be used to maintain school programs and services that the State does not fully fund. The 2022 EP&O Levy replaces the levy last approved by Waitsburg voters in 2020 and is not a new tax.

School districts run levies to help cover the gap between what the state funds and the actual cost of operating our schools. In Waitsburg, levy dollars help pay for preschool, athletics, extra-curricular activities, classified and certificated staffing, music, transportation costs, maintenance and operations, secondary STEM programs, and technology.

The estimated tax rate for the proposed levy (which will be collected in 2023 and 2024) is $3.50 per $1,000 assessed value. However, due to current state restrictions (known as the “levy lid”), levy rates could remain capped and result in a lower tax rate of $2.50 for Waitsburg property owners.

Waitsburg voters can expect to see the school district’s replacement EP&O Levy on the upcoming February 8th election. Ballots should arrive in the mail by January 24th. Please contact Superintendent Mark Pickel at 509-337-6301 for more information, or visit http://www.waitsburgsd.org/page/2022-levy.