Othello School District to put levy request before voters
Cheryl Schweizer <Staff Writer> | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 1 month AGO
OTHELLO — Othello School District patrons will be asked to approve or reject a three-year “educational programs and operations levy” in a special election in February.
If approved, the levy would replace the existing maintenance and operations levy. The Washington Legislature changed the programs that could be funded through money raised locally, which led to the change in name for the levy itself.
Board members opted to request about $1.53 per $1,000 of assessed property value, approximately the level of the current levy for the first two years. If the levy is approved, a property owner would pay an estimated $306 in taxes.
Janette Bumgarner, the district’s executive director of business services, estimated the levy would increase to $1.55 in the third year. The assessment for property worth $200,000 would be about $310.
Bumgarner estimated the levy would generate $2.35 million in 2021, $2.435 million in 2022 and $2.560 million in 2023.
If the levy is approved, the district will qualify for levy equalization funds from the state. That’s a state program that provides additional funding to districts that pass a levy, but have relatively lower property values. Board member Ken Johnson asked what happened to levy equalization if the district didn’t pass a levy. Bumgarner said the district had to pass a levy to receive levy equalization.
The board approved the levy request on a 4-1 vote. Board member Mike Garza voted no.
Bumgarner provided the board with three options, one of them being an assessment of $1.90 per $1,000 of assessed value. Board member Lindsy Prows said she would support that option, saying she could afford the extra money, which she estimated at about $10 per month. But Johnson and board member Sharon Shutte expressed concern about raising the levy, citing recent reassessment in the Othello area.
In many cases property values – and as a result, taxes – went up due to the reassessment, Johnson said. Under those circumstances he didn’t want to raise the levy request, he said, especially since the board is considering a capital request, either a construction bond or capital levy.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at educatrion@columbiabasinherald.com.
MORE SUN-TRIBUNE-ARCHIVES STORIES
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER <STAFF WRITER>
Othello School Board approves property purchase
OTHELLO — The Othello School Board has approved an agreement to purchase 81.14 acres of land along 14th Street and Lee Road. The district will pay $2.4 million to the current owner, Terra Gold Farms. The draft agreement was approved during the regular board meeting Monday. The land is located at Lee Road between Seventh and 14th streets. Assistant superintendent Gina Bullis said there are no plans to build on the property now, but district officials plan to keep it as a site for any additional schools. The sale should be completed by the end of January. In other business, a discussion of a site visit to Wahitis Elementary prompted questions about traffic on 14th Street. Construction closed part of 14th Street during the spring, summer and fall, including the stretch in front of Wahitis Elementary. Prior to construction the road had a four-way stop outside Scootney Springs Elementary, but the stop signs were removed during construction and haven’t been replaced. Board member Juan Garza said he had received inquiries about the stop signs, and whether they would be reinstalled. “It sounds to me like they (the stop sign removals) are permanent, right? It’s going to stay that way.” Bullis said she had received inquiries too, and had asked city officials about them, including a question at the Othello City Council meeting earlier Monday evening. City manager Wade Faris told her, Bullis said, the city wasn’t required to reinstall them. The original purpose was to eliminate some of the congestion on 14th, Cemetery and Ash streets when kids and parents were coming and going from Scootney Springs. City officials think the extra lanes will accommodate any congestion, she said. Board member Mike Garza said the stop signs were installed as the result of a traffic study conducted by the district at the city’s request. He asked if the city had done an additional traffic study prior to removal. Bullis said city officials didn’t give a reason for the change. Mike Garza also asked if city officials planned to paint crosswalks across 14th Street at Wahitis Elementary. “I noticed there are no crosswalk designations across 14th” at the school, he said. Bullis said she would ask city officials.
Othello School District land purchase moves ahead
OTHELLO — The Othello School Board is scheduled to review a draft purchase and sale agreement for 78 acres of property along Lee Road at its Oct. 10 meeting.
Othello School Board discusses 14th Street with city officials
OTHELLO — Traffic, traffic flow and pedestrian safety, especially for elementary students, were the subjects of a lengthy discussion at the Othello School Board meeting Monday.