Revised Capital Levy Proposal: February 11

We listened! Revised proposal at a lower rate and duration!

Safety is our top priority:

This February, the Wahluke School District is asking voters to approve a three-year capital levy at a lower rate focused on improving safety across the district and completing payment for our elementary school HVAC renovation costs. 

The 2025 revised Capital Levy is designed to address only our cost urgent facilities needs at a lower rate than previously proposed:

The February 11, 2025, Capital Levy will:

  • Replace 30+ year-old security systems at Mattawa Elementary (ME), Saddle Mountain Elementary (SME), Middle School (MSE), and Junior High (JH), including fire and security alarm systems.

  • Complete payment for the HVAC project at Mattawa Elementary (remaining cost: $2.2 million).

CZirker

Did you know?

The state of Washington does not fully fund K-12 education, nor does it fully fund building or maintaining school facilities. Local levies that reflect local priorities are an important source of public school funding.

In Grant County, 64% of school districts have one or more bonds or capital levies in place to fund facilities.

We’re doing our best to leverage grants whenever possible to keep our facilities updated, but stable funding is necessary to maintain our schools as community resources.

  • Over the past three years, WSD has secured grants for:

    • New roof at Mattawa Elementary ($1.8M)

    • Safety & security camera system ($600K)

    • ADA-compliant school doors ($120K)

    • Student laptops ($900K)

  • While grants help reduce the need for local funding, they are often one-time awards with specific restrictions, and they do not cover all facility needs.

  • For the Mattawa Elementary HVAC system, WSD had to secure a loan to meet the urgent heating and cooling needs, highlighting the limits of grant funding for larger, high-priority projects.

Levy Presentation
Board Resolution
Facts