The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON—Dayton voters are being asked to consider two levy measures on their February 11th ballots. The District is running an Educational Programs & Operations (EP&O) Levy and a Capital Technology & Facilities Levy. The measures are not new taxes. They will replace expiring levies approved by voters in 2016.

If approved by voters, levy funds will continue to be used to maintain educational programs and facility expenses in Dayton schools not fully funded by the state. The EP&O Levy dollars support smaller class sizes, athletics and other extra-curricular activities, elective courses for secondary students, career and technical education classes (CTE), instructional staff, school counselors and nurses, and operational costs that exceed state allocations. Capital Levy technology dollars will be spent maintaining and improving the use of technology for teaching and learning. This includes the purchasing and maintenance of computer labs and laptops used by students and teaching tools used by teachers including document cameras, interactive white boards, and teacher workstations. A one-year collection of Capital dollars will provide funding for an engineering and design study intended to give the district the information needed for updating the elementary school electrical system. The update is the first step in a process to improve ventilation and cooling for the elementary school.

Dayton’s current combined estimated tax rate for 2020 is $1.93 per $1,000 assessed value. (This includes both the EP&O and Capital Levy.) If voters approve the district’s proposed levies on February 11, the total tax rate is estimated to decrease to $1.70 beginning in 2021.

Dayton School District Superintendent Doug Johnson says levy funds are critical for Washington schools to be able to bridge the gap in funding between what the state funds and the actual cost of running a district.

“While the state continues to develop strategies for supporting basic education, those funds do not provide the funding for many programs and opportunities Dayton families want for their children. Local tax dollars are used to fill the gap between basic education and the more robust programs available to our students.”

Dayton’s replacement EP&O Levy and Capital Levy will appear on the February 11 election. Dayton voters should expect to receive their ballots in the mail around January 24. For questions or more information, please contact the Superintendent’s Office at 509-382-2543.