Renewal of the Educational Programs and Operations Levy (EP&O)
Seattle voters approved renewal of the district's Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) Levy in February 2019. This levy replaced the previous operations levy, which expired in 2019.
Why do we need the EP&O Levy?
School districts are funded through state, local and federal dollars. But there’s currently a gap between what the state funds for K-12 education and what Seattle students need.
So, every three years, the district asks voters to consider renewing the operations levy, which is a local education property tax. In addition, school construction is primarily funded by local voter-approved capital levies.
This levy:
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Funds critical day-to-day school operations, such as additional school staff beyond what the state allocates.
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Helps pay for instructional materials and textbook.
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Bridges the funding gap between what the state funds and what Seattle students need.
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Provides funds for Special Education to ensure our 7,000 students who need special education services have the supports they need.
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Helps close the opportunity gaps by continuing to provide programs to support our most vulnerable students.