Submitted by Olympia School District
Tonight the Olympia School Board unanimously passed Resolution 520, which places a Technology and Safety Levy before voters on February 11, 2014. Olympia voters passed technology levies in 1994, 2000, 2006 and 2010. If passed, this levy would be a renewal of the measure passed in 2010, which will expire at the end of 2014. The renewed levy would run from 2015 through 2018.
If approved, the Technology and Safety Levy will help pay for up-to-date technology and key safety projects for Olympia School District students and staff. Among other things, the levy will fund:
- New and continued technology initiatives, such as computers for state testing, new and upgraded classroom technology, and assistive devices for special needs students.
- Enhanced infrastructure to support the technology in place already, including support and training for teachers as they integrate technology into classrooms.
- Key safety projects, including deployment of cameras in schools and on buses, and installation of “panic buttons” at schools to call for help in an emergency.
The Olympia School District has spent much of the past year conducting a thorough review of its technology use and needs. It convened a Technology Advisory Committee and a separate Technology Think Tank, conducted forums to seek citizens’ feedback, surveyed staff about their use of technology in the classroom and across the district, and hired an outside evaluator to examine the district’s technology functions. District staff also evaluated the 15-year Facilities Master Plan to identify key safety projects the district could undertake right away. That work became the starting point for Resolution 520.
“This is a very well-thought-out, cost-effective levy request,” said Olympia School Board President Eileen Thomson. “After many months of diligent staff work, thorough review and a wide range of input, I am confident the request we have put before our community represents what our schools truly need in terms of technology and safety.”
If approved, the levy’s tax rate for the first year would be $.62 per $1,000 of assessed value, decreasing each year to $.34 per $1,000 by 2018. The owner of a $250,000 home would pay an average of about $9 a month, or $109 a year, for the levy. Combined with other school measures, the total projected tax rate would be $5.33 in 2015.
