Tri-Cities school districts seek levy renewals in February election
TRI-CITIES, Wash. — Ballots for the Feb. 10 special election in Benton and Franklin counties are on their way to voters, with all three Tri-Cities school districts—Pasco, Kennewick, and Richland—seeking renewal levies.
These levies, which currently provide 10 to 20 percent of the school districts' budgets, are set to expire. Dr. Joey Castilleja, executive of fiscal services for the Pasco School District, noted, "It's only allowed to be used on things that aren't funded by the state, so an example of this is a big one that people often think about easily is athletics. There is no money that comes in from the state or anywhere else, for that matter, to fund an athletic program, and so our local dollars go right into things like that."
If the levies aren't approved, all three districts would have to make cuts from things not paid for by Washington state, including security, athletics, and other extracurricular activities.
Lance Hansen, superintendent of the Kennewick School District, emphasized the importance of the levies, stating, "One, it's a replacement of expiring levies... And two, it fills the gap between what we receive and what we need to ensure our kids have the appropriate supports, opportunities, and safety so that they can be well prepared for success—post-secondary education, work, and life."
https://keprtv.com/news/local/tri-cities-school-districts-seek-levy-renewals-in-february-election