Overview - Kennewick School District

Student Learning & Staffing - $14.7 million

Graduation Success Coordinators
Advanced Placement
International Baccalaureate
Special Education Support
Professional Development & Training
Dual Language
Librarians
Substitute Teachers

Health & Safety - $5.2 million

NEW: Add 3 Additional Middle School SROs
NEW: Add Elementary Safety Officers
Middle & High School Resource Officers (SROs)
Security Staff
Nurses
Psychologists
Drug & Alcohol Prevention
Crosswalk Safety

Instructional Support - $9.9 million

Secretaries
Paraeducators
Classified Substitutes
Curriculum

Athletics & Activities - $3.9 millioN

Extracurricular Activities and Athletics
Coaches
Advisors

Operations & Maintenance - $4.5 million

Custodians
Grounds & Maintenance Workers
Transportation

WHY A LEVY?

Kennewick School District relies on local levy funding to provide quality educational programs and address critical needs in our schools to support the kids in our community.

If the local levy passes, the district will receive an additional $15 million per year in state Local Effort Assistance (LEA) funding. If the levy doesn't pass, we will not receive these funds and significant budget cuts will need to be made.

The district ran levy elections in both February and April 2022 that failed to pass. The district lost $34 million in funding for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years, including $20 million in local levy revenue and $14 million in LEA funding.

To avoid significant cuts to staffing and programs for this school year, the district made staffing reductions and left vacant staffing positions unfilled. The district also made non-staff budget reductions, tapped into one-time ESSER COVID relief funding, and used the district’s fund balance.

LEVY AMOUNTS

Voters will be asked to decide on a three-year levy with the following amounts:

2024

$23,000,000

($1.73 est. tax rate)

2025

$23,850,000

($1.68 est. tax rate)

2026

$24,700,000

($1.63 est. tax rate)

Levy Calculator

What is the assessed value of your Property?

Year	Est. Rate Per $1,000	Annual Estimated Tax
2024 Levy Amount	$1.73	$432.50
2025 Levy Amount	$1.68	$420.00
2026 Levy Amount	$1.63	$407.50

Sample Tax Scenarios

2024 Levy Amount - $23,000,000

Assessed Property Value	Assessed Value (in Thousands) x Est. Levy Rate	Estimated Tax
$250,000	250 X $1.73	$432.50
$350,000	350 X $1.73	$605.50
$400,000	400 X $1.73	$692

2025 Levy Amount - $23,850,000

Assessed Property Value	Assessed Value (in Thousands) x Est. Levy Rate	Estimated Tax
$250,000	250 X $1.68	$420
$350,000	350 X $1.68	$588
$400,000	400 X $1.68	$672

2026 Levy Amount - $24,700,000

Assessed Property Value	Assessed Value (in Thousands) x Est. Levy Rate	Estimated Tax
$250,000	250 X $1.63	$407.50
$350,000	350 X $1.63	$570.50
$400,000	400 X $1.63	$733.50

HISTORICAL & FUTURE EP&O LEVY TAX RATE

TOTAL COMBINED SCHOOL TAX RATE

	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
KSD Educational Programs & Operations Levy (Listed as "ENRICHMENT" on tax statement)	$3.41	$3.37	$1.50	$1.58	$1.66	$1.67	--	$1.73*	$1.68*	$1.63*
KSD Capital Technology Levy (Listed as "CAPITAL PROJECTS" on tax statement)	---	---	$0.47	$0.43	$0.40	$0.37	$0.34*	$0.34*	$0.34*	$0.34*
WA State Basic Education Levies (Listed as "STATE SCHOOL" and "STATE SCHOOL PART 2" on tax statement)	$2.15	$3.17	$2.74	$3.07	$2.68	$2.63	$2.57*	$2.52*	$2.47*	$2.42*
KSD Capital Projects Bond (Listed as "DEBT SERVICE" on tax statement)	$1.61	$1.62	$1.52	$1.67	$1.63	$1.60	$1.39*	$1.39*	$1.36*	$1.36*
Total	$7.17	$8.16	$6.23	$6.75	$6.37	$6.27	$4.30*	$5.98*	$5.85*	$5.75*

*Estimated tax rate per $1,000 of assessed property value.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if the levy does not pass?

Without an approved local levy, and the funding provided by state Local Effort Assistance, the district will face a $38 million shortfall for the 2023-24 school year. The district will be forced to make significant budget cuts that will affect all areas of the district, including people and programs. Specific cuts would be determined through a budget reduction process conducted by the district and approved by the school board.

What tax relief/exemption or deferral programs are available for senior citizens, disabled people and low-income homeowners?

What Budget Cuts Were Made FOR 2022-23 When The Levy Did Not Pass?

The district ran levy elections in both February and April 2022 that failed to pass. The district lost $34 million in funding for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years, including $20 million in local levy revenue and $14 million in LEA funding.

To avoid significant cuts to staffing and programs for the 2022-23 school year, the district made $5 million in staff and non-staff related budget reductions and savings. This included using $10 million in one-time ESSER/COVID Relief funding and $15 million of the district's fund balance.

Staff-Related Budget Reductions ($3 million)

Administration, Maintenance & Operations, Custodial, Teaching, Curriculum, and Secretarial positions.
Professional Development

Non-Staff Budget Reductions ($2 million)

Curriculum Adoption
Maintenance/Fleet/Grounds

What's on the ballot?

How Do I read my tax statement?

If you own property in the Kennewick School District, you will receive an annual tax statement listing various local and state taxes. Here is how the school taxes are designated:

ENRICHMENT = KSD Educational Programs & Operations Levy
CAPITAL PROJECTS = KSD Capital Technology Levy
STATE SCHOOL and STATE SCHOOL PART 2 = WA State Basic Education Levies
DEBT SERVICE = KSD Capital Projects Bond (Passed in 2018)

	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
KSD Educational Programs & Operations Levy (Listed as "ENRICHMENT" on tax statement)	$3.41	$3.37	$1.50	$1.58	$1.66	$1.67	--	$1.73*	$1.68*	$1.63*
KSD Capital Technology Levy (Listed as "CAPITAL PROJECTS" on tax statement)	---	---	$0.47	$0.43	$0.40	$0.37	$0.34*	$0.34*	$0.34*	$0.34*
WA State Basic Education Levies (Listed as "STATE SCHOOL" and "STATE SCHOOL PART 2" on tax statement)	$2.15	$3.17	$2.74	$3.07	$2.68	$2.63	$2.57*	$2.52*	$2.47*	$2.42*
KSD Capital Projects Bond (Listed as "DEBT SERVICE" on tax statement)	$1.61	$1.62	$1.52	$1.67	$1.63	$1.60	$1.39*	$1.39*	$1.36*	$1.36*
Total	$7.17	$8.16	$6.23	$6.75	$6.37	$6.27	$4.30*	$5.98*	$5.85*	$5.75*

*Estimated tax rate per $1,000 of assessed property value.

Questions?

Contact info@ksd.org or call (509) 222-5000.

HOW TO VOTE

RETURNING YOUR BALLOT

Ballots are mailed on Jan. 25. If you are voting by mail, please return your ballot before Feb. 14 so that it gets postmarked by the deadline.

To return your ballot in-person, put it in a drop box by 8 p.m. on Feb. 14 at:

DRIVE UP Kennewick City Hall, 210 W. 6th Ave., Kennewick
DRIVE UP IN PARKING LOT ON THE STREET SIDE Benton County Voting Center, 2600 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Richland
INSIDE 2618 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Richland
DRIVE UP Benton County Campus, 7122 W Okanogan Place, Kennewick

REGISTERING TO VOTE

FEB. 6 - Deadline for mail-in and online voter registration
FEB. 14 BY 8 P.M. - Deadline for in-person voter registration at Benton County Voting Center, 2600 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Richland

THEIR EDUCATIONAL FUTURE IS IN YOUR HANDS.

Vote by Feb. 14, 2023

KENNEWICK SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL RUN A LEVY ELECTION ON FEBRUARY 14, 2023.

Learn How The Levy Helps Support Kennewick Kids

What the levy Funds