On Tuesday, February 13, 2024, Kelso School District residents will vote on an issue affecting children in our community: a four-year RENEWAL educational program and operations levy. For a printable pdf of the information on this page, click here.

The renewal education & operations levy is not a new tax. It replaces the expiring levy.

Local levy dollars make up 12.6% of the KSD budget.

The levy will not be used to build new school buildings. This levy is not a bond. Bonds build buildings, levies are for learning.

School safety, security Sports, extracurricular activities Electives (visual & performing arts, music, world languages) Early learning

This renewal levy will be on the February 2024 ballot and, when approved, would be for four years from 2025 to 2028.

Passage of the levy provides an additional $3.4 million in Local Effort Assistance to Kelso School District from the State of Washington. Receiving these state funds is contingent upon the local levy passing.

Local levies bridge the ongoing gap between what the state funds and what it actually costs to deliver a high-quality education, safety, and resources for well-being.

Dual credit, advanced courses Smaller class sizes Special education Nurses, counselors, behavioral health specialists

All schools in the district will benefit from this levy.

The estimated average rate is $2.08 per $1,000 of assessed property value, or $6.86 per month for the owner of a median-valued home.

This levy helps pay for staffing and operations that are not funded, or underfunded, by the state, such as:

Family & Community Resource Center Maintenance of facilities Instructional materials and technology

LEVY FAQs

We asked our Kelso community to share questions about the levy in a ThoughtExchange. Thank you for participating!

We listened and have addressed the main questions here: Top 10 Renewal Levy FAQs.

COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS

Informational presentations about the levy were made to several community organizations. You can see the presentation here.

FOCUSED COMMUNICATION

This levy provides 12.6% of our overall budget and supports vital programs and services. Our coordinated and comprehensive communication about the levy is reflective of its importance to our students, staff, and community. You can see a complete overview of our efforts combined with the for and against campaigns here.

12.3% teachers & instructional support staff