Othello School District to offer four-year EP&O levy

OTHELLO — Othello School District voters will decide the fate of a four-year educational programs and operations levy in a special election Feb. 10. Ballots are being mailed this week.  

Typically, Othello has submitted a three-year levy to voters, but Othello Superintendent Pete Perez said there are no guarantees when it comes to state funding. 

“I think it's certainly the unease around finances in the state of Washington for schools,” Perez said. “We were trying to look for a little more predictability and stability, and so the community group felt like four years was the appropriate amount of time for us to consider.”

If the levy is approved, property owners would pay $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value each year. The levy is projected to raise about $4.2 million in 2027, about $4.6 million in 2028, about $5 million in 2029 and $5.5 million in 2030.  

The levy rate is the same as the levy approved by voters in 2023. The owner of property valued at $300,000 would pay $450 per year in taxes. A landowner whose property is valued at $350,000 would pay $525 in taxes.  

Othello is eligible for levy equalization, which is a state program that provides additional money for districts with lower property values that pass a levy. Othello Assistant Superintendent Josh Meek said a levy rate of $1.50 per $1,000 allows the district to maximize its eligibility for levy assistance.  

“The $1.50 (levy rate) is the sweet spot, if you will,” Meek said.  

Elementary teacher Kayla Spohr, talking with the Othello School Board about what she learned while on the district’s “Future Ready Schools” committee, said the levy allows some flexibility when state and federal funding falls short. 

“The levy helps fill those gaps. When the state doesn’t give us enough money, the levy helps that,” Spohr said. 

Perez said that includes money for staffing, because state funding does not cover all expenses for what OPD officials consider adequate staff. 

“It's the increased cost for employee benefits, increases in staff salaries (and other expenses); all those things add up over time. To maintain the services for students, if the state's not going to fund it, districts have had to make the determination that they're going to have to use some local resources to cover that,” Perez said.  

Meek cited the district’s security officers as an example. State funding provides enough money for a part-time security officer.  

“We’re fortunate to have, not half a security officer to cover the whole school district, but we have four across the district, as well as a partnership with the police department for our SRO program,” Meek said.  

Extracurricular programs are not eligible for state funding; as a result, all extracurricular activities, from high school clubs to district sports, are paid for through the levy.  

Ballots that are mailed must be postmarked by Feb. 10. Ballots also can be left at the drop box at the Adams County Public Services building in Othello, 425 E. Main St.