BONDS & LEVIES: The Seeds of School Funding

How do schools receive the money they need to provide an education for all students?

The answer is complex.

The root of the answer lies in state law. Washington is required to fully fund “basic education” based on a funding distribution formula referred to as the “prototypical model.” This model represents the Legislature’s assumptions about the costs associated with providing a “basic education” to student seedlings. Sadly, the money provided by the state for schools does not cover the actual cost of operating, constructing, and maintaining a school district. Local community funding measures, called levies and bonds, fill the gap between state funds and the real cost of providing the structures and services that help students grow and thrive.

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Local Levies & Bonds: Filling the Gaps

Washington is one of the few states where local voters must repeatedly approve funding that the state constitution says should already be guaranteed. As a result, local levies now pay for many things students rely on every day — including arts, athletics, clubs, mental-health supports, world languages, and in many districts even basic staffing, transportation needs, and special education services.

Local levies should enhance opportunities, not cover basic shortfalls. When essential services depend on local levies, it places an unfair burden on communities and widens inequities between school districts.

Bonds allow districts to repair and replace aging school buildings — including roofs, heating systems, flooring, safety upgrades, and overcrowded classrooms. Yet many districts struggle to pass bonds because of the 60% supermajority requirement, even when buildings are far beyond their intended lifespan. Reducing the bond threshold to a simple majority would help many districts across our state address urgent facility needs.

Levies and bonds should expand student opportunities — not serve as emergency funding for basic needs.

What’s on the Ballot

8 of the 10 school districts represented in the Regional Town Hall will be renewing levies next month: Bellevue, Issaquah, Lake Washington, Mercer Island, Northshore, Riverview, Shoreline, and Snoqualmie Valley
Levies make up 15–25% of a district’s total budget and are critical to funding programs, staffing, and student supports the state does not fully fund.
Northshore and Riverview will also have bonds on their local ballots next month.

We encourage community members to volunteer with local levy and bond campaigns to help share why these measures are so important for students and schools.

Connect with Your Local Levy / Bond Campaigns:

Bonds are for building

A bond provides funding for capital projects such as purchasing property for schools, constructing new schools, or modernizing existing schools. Bonds are sold to investors who are repaid with interest over time from property tax collections, generally between 10-25 years.

Bonds require a super majority to pass (60%)

Levies are for learning

A levy is a short-term, local property tax passed by the voters of a school district that generates revenue for the district to fund programs and services that the state does not fund or fully fund as part of “basic education.”

Levies require a simple majority to pass (50% + 1)